| Winnipeg | |
|---|---|
Harry Colebourn and Winnie, 1914 |
|
| Other appellation(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 | inspiring Winnie-the-Pooh |
| Owner | Harry Colebourn |
| Named after | the city of Winnipeg |
Winnipeg (or "Winnie") (born 1914 in Ontario, Canada- died May 12, 1934 in London, England) 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 in 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 her 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 named his own teddy bear “Winnie,” providing the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh.
A statue of Winnie and Captain Colebourn stands in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg.
The story of Winnie the bear has been portrayed in the 2004 movie A Bear Named Winnie starring Michael Fassbender as Harry Colebourn.