Winnie the Pooh Bear's Name

It’s an interesting point that the famous children's storybook character "Winnie the Pooh" has a connection with the city of Winnipeg in Manitoba Canada.
It seems that the author's son, Christopher Milne, was infatuated and enamored with a black bear cub at the famous London Zoo. This occurred in the time period following World War 1 (1914-1918).
The bear cub had come as a mascot for a Canadian artillery group. At a short railway stop a member of the group had purchased a young orphaned black bear cub from a hunter. It is amazing that the bear was allowed onto the troop ship to Britain as well as fed and nourished along the way. Sure a long way from Northern Ontario. The bear was named after either the regiment’s home base - Winnipeg Canada or the home town itself of the owner. Winnipeg full, Winnie as a shorter nickname.
When the regiment was posted to France the bear was put into the temporary care of the London Zoo. When the owner returned back from the battlefield in France for whatever reasons - whether for practical reasons of care , of transport or that the bear was now a big hit and fixture with the British kids the black bear Winnipeg or Winnie was donated to the London Zoo where it remained for many years and stood as a favorite of young Christopher Milne influencing his father's choice for the name of the bear character in his series of children's books - both storybooks and books of poetry for children.

Interestingly the Canadian serviceman , who befriended and cared for the bear was a vetrenarian by training. Lieutant Harry Colebourne's wish was to be have Winnie the bear repatriated back to Canada to be a resident at the Assinboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg.

http://www.winnipeg.ca/cms/ape/

http://www.zoosociety.com/

http://www.dakotahotel.mb.ca/

http://www.winnipeg.ca/cms/ape/

However when he saw the appreciation and respect that the children who visited the London Zoo had for the bear Winnie (Winnipeg) he graciously donated the bear to the London Zoo. Both a plaque and statue of the 2 ( Lieutant Harry Colebourne and Winnie) were erected in commemeration and appreciation in Assiboine Park - specifically in the Winnipeg Zoo area of the park in honor of these personalites and the fame that they brought the Assiniboine Park Zoo as well as the city of Winnipeg , Canada.

Thus Winni the Pooh was named and nicknamed after the Canadian city of Winnipeg.

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