Winnie - the real-life bear who inspired A.A. Milne to create Winnie-the-Pooh - died at London Zoo on 12th May, 1934.
Brought to the UK by Canadian soldier Harry Colbourn, who’d named her after Winnipeg, the approachable bear took up residence at the Zoo during the First World War, where she became a favourite with visiting children, who were permitted to ride on her back and feed her treats. One such visitor was none other than Christopher Robin.
In this episode, The Retrospectors explain why Winnie’s enclosure was an architectural triumph; consider A.A. Milne’s attempt to distance his family from Pooh's legacy; and discover that the literary Pooh could have been a swan…
Further Reading:
• ‘The True Story of the Real-Life Winnie-the-Pooh’ (HISTORY, 1934): https://www.history.com/news/the-true-story-of-the-real-life-winnie-the-pooh
• ‘The skull of the 'real' Winnie goes on display’ (BBC News, 2015): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-34844669
• ‘The bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh’ (ZSL, 2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdOymRprTqM
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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.
Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart
Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2025
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