Sometimes real life truly is stranger than fiction. In Mono County, California, a black bear waltzed into a public library. Footage of the encounter made its rounds on social media.
Thankfully, no one came into contact with the bear. Director of Libraries Josef Bopp revealed the animal ventured into the library just after 6 a.m., several hours before the library opened at 10.
Though the bear did make off with the library’s snack supply, it eventually left of its own accord. Interestingly enough, the incident took place on the 100th anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh’s original publication date.
A Bear Pays an Unexpected Visit to a California Library
The first “Winnie-the-Pooh” story was published on October 14, 1926. Exactly 100 years later, the curious black bear meandered into the Mammoth Lakes library and devoured a pot of honey, among other delectable snacks.
The Mono County Office of Education issued an official statement, poking a bit of fun at the irony.
“This morning the Mammoth Lakes library had a special visitor before the doors opened for patrons,” statement declared. “We can only assume the new Li-BEAR-ian was looking for a copy of ‘Winnie-the-Pooh,’ published 100 years ago today!”
“While we love an enthusiastic patron, and we understand the excitement of the centennial, we do remind patrons – and perhaps more importantly our bears – that snacks are not part of the circulating collection,” Director of Libraries Josef Bopp added.
The Beloved Bear Celebrates His 100th Birthday
For 100 years now, audiences all over the world have fallen in love with the cuddly yellow bear. English author A. A. Milne created the character after buying a stuffed teddy bear for his son, Christopher Robin. Milne named the character after a bear named Winnie that the family saw at the London Zoo.
The Walt Disney Company acquired the rights to A. A. Milne’s colorful cast of characters in the 1960s, turning him into a beloved cartoon. Today, the original stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh toys are on display at the New York Public Library.
WDW News Today reports that A. A. Milne’s American publisher, E.P. Dutton, ultimately brought the toys to the United States in 1947. In 1987, they were donated to the library. Over the years, England has made many attempts to retrieve the toys and bring them back.
“It would be wonderful if it happens, but I can’t see it happening anytime soon,” Gyles Brandreth, a friend of Christopher Robin’s, publicly stated on the matter. “The ball is now really in the court of the New York Public Library.”
A Bear Broke Into a Library & Went Straight for the Honey — on Winnie-the-Pooh’s 100th Anniversary