Harry Colebourn and a bear named Winnie
Harry Colebourn and a bear named Winnie  
Podcast: History Dispatches
Published On: Fri Dec 19 2025
Description: Most people probably know that Winnie the Pooh was based upon the stuffed toy bear of Christopher Robin Milne - the son of author A.A. Milne. But there is another tale behind the famed bear - which involves a Canadian veterinarian, a black bear cub, and World War 1. This is the story of Harry Colebourn and a bear named Winnie. Sources https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/gallery/2015/nov/24/winnie-the-pooh-inspired-by-a-real-bear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Colebourn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnipeg_(bear) Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_Colebourne_and_Winnie.jpg History Dispatches is part of the Airwave Media Network: www.airwavemedia.com Interested in advertising on History Dispatches? Email us at advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices