| Birth: | unknown | | Death: | 1976 | 
Animal Folk Figure. In 1950, a huge forest fire in Lincoln National Forest, near Capitan, New Mexico, severely burned a four-month-old black bear cub. After his rescue, a district game warden took him to Santa Fe where he was nursed back to health. He was made a living symbol of the United States Forest Service's five-year-old fire prevention program and the bear was dubbed with the nickname "Smokey." The promotion was a profitable venture as the Forest Service was the recipient of more than one million dollars in royalties on products bearing the bear's name and so much mail was addressed to "Smokey" that it necessitated his own zip code. Smokey was transferred to Washington, DC, and was placed in the National Zoo where he was seen by millions. In May 1975, the bear crippled by age was placed in private cage where he died in his sleep at age twenty-six. The forest service flew the body to New Mexico for interment in the National Forest where he was found. (bio by: Donald Greyfield)
Search Amazon for Smokey the Bear | | | Burial:
Lincoln National Forest
Near Capitan
New Mexico, USA |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Jan 01, 2001
Find A Grave Memorial# 2482 |
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