How did a black bear named Winnie inspire A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories?

The name of the famous character Winnie-the-Pooh was inspired by a real black bear named Winnipeg, or "Winnie" for short. In 1914, a Canadian army veterinarian named Harry Colebourn purchased the orphaned cub in Ontario and brought her to England, where she served as an unofficial mascot for his regiment. When Colebourn was deployed to the front, he placed the bear at the London Zoo.1

At the zoo, Winnie became a popular attraction. Among her visitors was Christopher Robin Milne, the son of author A.A. Milne. Christopher Robin was so fond of the bear that he renamed his own teddy bear after her. The "Pooh" portion of the name was later added, having originally belonged to a swan that Christopher Robin used to feed.1