As a child, Christopher Robin Milne loved feeding a London Zoo animal whose former owner hailed from this city
The Final Jeopardy clue for Thursday, February 26, 2026, came from the category Literary Origins and invited viewers to connect a beloved literary character to a real-life childhood memory. The clue read: “As a child, Christopher Robin Milne loved feeding a London Zoo animal whose former owner hailed from this city.” The question pointed to a well-known literary inspiration rooted in family history, early 20th-century London, and the real animal that helped shape one of children’s literature’s most enduring characters.
What Is Winnipeg?
The clue refers to the Canadian city of Winnipeg, the hometown of a black bear that became the real-life inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh. During World War I, a Canadian soldier and veterinarian named Lieutenant Harry Colebourn purchased a young female black bear while traveling through Ontario. He named the bear “Winnipeg,” often shortened to “Winnie,” after his hometown in Manitoba.
When Colebourn’s military unit prepared to deploy to the front lines in Europe, he left Winnie in the care of the London Zoo. The bear quickly became a popular and gentle attraction, known for her calm temperament and friendliness with children. Among her regular young visitors was Christopher Robin Milne, the son of author A. A. Milne.
The Real Bear Behind Winnie-the-Pooh
Christopher Robin Milne became especially fond of Winnie and often visited her at the zoo, where he was allowed to feed and interact with the animal. His affection for the bear was so strong that he renamed his own stuffed toy bear “Winnie” after her. That toy later became the central inspiration for A. A. Milne’s stories about Winnie-the-Pooh.
The addition of the name “Pooh” came from a swan Christopher Robin had also named, combining to create the famous character known around the world. A. A. Milne’s first Pooh stories appeared in the 1920s, featuring the fictional Hundred Acre Wood and characters inspired by Christopher Robin’s real toys.
Literary History and Lasting Legacy
The connection between a Canadian military mascot, a London Zoo attraction, and a child’s imagination illustrates how personal experiences shaped the origins of a literary classic. The stories of Winnie-the-Pooh went on to become some of the most widely read and adapted works in children’s literature, translated into many languages and adapted for stage, film, and television.
Today, Winnipeg proudly embraces its role in literary history, and the story of the real bear Winnie remains an important part of the character’s origin. The London Zoo has also preserved the historical connection, highlighting the animal’s role in inspiring one of the most recognizable figures in children’s fiction.