Winnipeg (bear)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2012) |
 Harry Colebourn and Winnie, 1914 | |
| Other name(s) | Winnie |
|---|---|
| Species | American Black Bear |
| Sex | female |
| Born | c. 1914 Ontario, Canada |
| Died | May 12, 1934 (aged 20) London Zoo, London, England |
| Known for | Inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh |
| Owner | Harry Colebourn |
| Named after | the city of Winnipeg |
Winnipeg, or Winnie, (1914 - 12 May 1934) was the name given to a female black bear that lived at London Zoo from 1915 until her death in 1934.
She was bought as a small cub for $20 (probably from the hunter who had shot her mother) at a stop in White River, Ontario, by Lt. Harry Colebourn of The Fort Garry Horse, a Canadian cavalry regiment, en route to the Western Front during the First World War. The bear was smuggled into Britain as an unofficial regimental mascot. Lt. Colebourn, the regiment’s veterinarian, named her after his home city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Before leaving for France, Colebourn left Winnie at London Zoo.
Winnipeg's eventual destination was to have been the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, but at the end of the War, Colebourn decided to allow Winnie to remain at the London Zoo, where she was much loved for her playfulness and gentleness. Among her fans was A. A. Milne's son Christopher Robin, who consequently changed the name of his own teddy bear from "Edward Bear" to "Winnie the Pooh",[1] providing the inspiration for his father's stories about Winnie-the-Pooh.
Recognition
Statue
A statue of Winnie and Captain Colebourn stands in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, in the park's Nature Playground.[2]
Stamp
In 1996, Canada Post issued 'Winnie and Lieutenant Colebourn, White River, 1914' designed by Wai Poon with art direction by Anthony Van Bruggen and computer design by Marcelo Caetano. The 45¢ stamps are perforated 12.5 x 13 and were printed by Ashton-Potter Canada Limited. [3]
Film adaptation
The story of Winnie the bear has been portrayed in the 2004 movie A Bear Named Winnie starring Michael Fassbender as Harry Colebourn.
Gallery
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Winnie the Bear as a cub with Colebourn -
Winnie plays with a soldier's sleeve -
Winnie the Bear as a cub with an unidentified Canadian soldier
References
- ^ History of Winnie the Pooh. Just-Pooh.com - Discover the magic world of Pooh. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ Statue of Winnie the Bear has new home. Winnipeg Free Press, 9 August 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
- ^ Canada Post stamp
External links
- A Bear Named Winnie. TV movie (2004)
- Winnie-the-Pooh makes his literary debut. Interview with Colebourn's son, CBC Digital Archives (1987). Retrieved 12 Nov 2010.
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