Sandor Foldi, of Bury St Edmunds, was once dragged across the stage of Olympia by a runaway bear when he worked as a circus hand.

BBC: Anne the Elephant and the end of circus animals

Born last December, the bear ignited a heated debate about hand-rearing after his mother rejected him and he was brought up and bottle-fed by Mr Doerflein.

BBC: Polar bear cub Knut was defiant in the face of death threats

On the other hand, past bear markets send a mixed message about whether one is likely now.

ECONOMIST: A wobble down Wall Street

On the other hand, strong equity market rallies frequently occur in the midst of a prolonged bear market environment, such as we have experienced since 2000.

FORBES: How To Play Overbought Equity Markets

Knut was hand-reared by zoo keepers after being rejected by his mother, a former circus bear from the former East Germany.

BBC: Candles by Knut's enclosure