Smokey Bear made his first appearance on a wildfire ... The story became national news and the cub was sent to reside at the National Zoo in Washington as a real-life embodiment of Smokey.

For those of you who don’t know, Smokey is based on a real bear who was rescued from a New Mexico wildfire in 1950 and later lived in the National Zoo in Washington D.C. where he required his own zip ...

With his paws and hind legs singed, the bear was originally called ‘Hotfoot Teddy’, but was later renamed Smokey after the mascot. He was rehomed at the National Zoo in Washington, DC, where he ...