Dr. Gerald Uhlich, of Berlin zoo, stated that Knut "draw[s] attention to the environment in a nice way." As a result, the German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel adopted Knut as the mascot for a conference about endangered species. Gabriel met with Knut soon after his zoo debut, and said that although Knut was safe, "worldwide polar bears are in danger and if Knut can help the cause, then that is a good thing."