Winnie: The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh Spiral-Bound | January 20, 2015

Who could care for a bear?

When Harry Colebourn saw a baby bear at a train station, he knew he could care for it. Harry was a veterinarian. But he was also a soldier in training during World War I.

Harry named the bear Winnie, short for Winnipeg, his company's home town, and he brought her along to the military camp in England. Winnie followed Harry everywhere and slept under his cot every night. Before long, she became the regiment's much-loved mascot.

But who could care for the bear when Harry went to battle? Harry found just the right place for Winnie—the London Zoo. There a boy named Christopher Robin played with Winnie—he could care for this bear too!