Knut the Polar Bear Cub Overshadows the Cub Next Door

Thousands of visitors have been filing past the bear enclosure at Berlin Zoo to see 'Knut' the little polar bear, but only a handful have been venturing around the corner to see his tropical cousin 'Ernst', a Malaysian black bear cub, according to officials at Berlin zoo on Friday.

Doctor Ragnar Kuehne, Berlin Zoo Curator, told AP Television that Ernst "lives his existence in a bit of a shadow."

"Knut is much more popular and the reason for that is that Ernst lives here cared for by his mother."

Born at the zoo on 5 December, Knut, rose to fame as news spread that he was being hand-raised by zookeepers.

Ernst was born the month before Knut but he was not rejected by his mother nor was his natural habitat endangered - both important factors, keepers say, in Knut's route to global stardom.

That frenzy of worldwide media attention has resulted in record zoo attendance, doubling at one stage.

Now around 15-thousand people visit the baby polar bear each day.

Knut shares the cover of the current issue of Vanity Fair with film star Leonardo DiCaprio, in images photographed by famous photographer Annie Leibovitz.

He has the cover of the German edition all to himself.

But in another part of the zoo and away from the media spotlight and crowds of visitors, Ernst the black bear, is happily playing under a watchful eye of his mother oblivious to the lack of attention.

Knutmania is in full swing in Germany, where the fluffy baby polar bear has become the latest merchandising sensation, inspiring Knut T-shirts, mugs, postcards, DVDs and keychains.

The merchandising frenzy now includes a special collection by German toy maker Steiff GmbH.

Since January, the company has been selling 800 Knut bears a day, the sales director said and range in cost from $27 to $40 US dollars.

Haribo, the German candy company that makes gummi bears, has created a white, marshmallow-like Knut candy that will hit grocery stores across Germany and Austria next week.