The Real Smokey the Bear
Hot Foot Teddy and his caretaker Warden Ray Bell.
Last week, the Archive Gals took a trip to the National Zoo, and did a little research about former zoo celebrities; the past Bao-Baos, if you will. The beloved character Smokey Bear was created by the US Forest Service in 1844, to spread information on forest fire prevention. The moniker shifted to "Smokey the Bear" following Eddie Arnold's hit song about the fire safety conscious ursine in 1952.
Ray Bell's daughter Judy with the rescued bear.
In 1950, during a forest fire in the Capitan Mountains, in Lincoln National Forest, AZ, a two and half month old bear cub was found trapped in a tree. He was named Hot Foot Teddy, and his paws were treated for burns. State Fish and Game Warden Ray Bell took the young cub in, and the Bell family raised Teddy until he was given a new home at the National Zoo and re-dubbed Smokey Bear- the physical incarnation of the popular character. Smokey Bear lived out his days as one of the zoo's most popular attractions- with so many letters being written to him that the US Post Office gave him his own zip code. He died in 1976, and the title of Smokey Bear was passed on to his "adopted son" Lil' Smokey, who carried the title into the early nineties. The original Smokey Bear's remains were returned to his birthplace and you can visit his grave today at Smokey Bear Historical Park in the Capitan Mountains. Remember guys- only you can prevent forest fires! (Or wildfires, if you want to be current).
