today is the seventeenth birthday of Tilo, one of the official Berlin Bears! He and his two female companions Maxi and Schnute live in a bear pit in Köllnischen Park in Mitte. Some may think it is cruel to keep these great magnificent beasts of the forest in a small bear pit in the middle of the city – but have these naysayers ever tried to live in the wild? It is difficult and frustrating to live in the forests – so dirty and cold in the winter – even if you are wearing a bear suit! And you have to run around and get wet and even dirtier just to find food! Our city bears get three squares a day without having to lift a paw – how’s that for room service!