In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt spared the life of a black bear -- and prompted a stuffed toy craze. (Photo: Yoo Chung / flickr Highland Park is tied into the history of the city’s public drinking water system. It was built around reservoirs that are still in use today. Photo: Jessica / flickr (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

How the Teddy Bear Helped Form Our Modern View of Wildlife

The Allegheny Front·
CultureWildlife

From NPR’s Ted Radio Hour, we bring you writer Jon Mooallem who tells the story of the teddy bear, and considers how the tales we tell about wild animals have real consequences for a species’ chance of survival — and the natural world at large.

This political cartoon by Clifford Berryman’s depicts President Theodore Roosevelt’s bear hunting trip to Mississippi. The cartoon gave the ‘Teddy’ Bear it’s name. It was published in the Washington Post in 1902.

>>LISTEN to the whole episode of NPR’s TED Radio Hour with Guy Raz and guest, Jon Mooallem.

>>WATCH Jon Mooalem’s Ted Talk below:

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