Early Riser: Bear Lets Itself Into Mammoth Lakes Library, Raids Snacks on Winnie-the-Pooh's 100th Birthday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Early Riser: Bear Lets Itself Into Mammoth Lakes Library, Raids Snacks on Winnie-the-Pooh’s 100th Birthday

MAMMOTH LAKES, Calif. (October 14, 2026) — On the very day the world marks 100 years since A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh was first published, a black bear made its way inside the Mammoth Lakes Library branch of the Mono County Free Libraries before opening hours — and, in a tribute no one asked for, went straight for the honey.

The Visit

Director of Libraries, Josef Bopp, shared that the bear entered the library at approximately 6:10 a.m, well before public opening at 10:00am. Upon entering, the bear went straight for the staff snack supply, where it helped itself to peanut butter, a selection of peach cups, a pawful of cookies and — of course — one jar of honey.

Satiated, the bear then took a full tour of the library, perusing the new releases and inspecting the reference desk before, evidently content with its visit, letting itself out and departing for the day. Remarkably, no damage was reported. No shelves were toppled and no books were harmed, though the honey jar has not been returned at time of publication.

“While we love an enthusiastic patron, and we understand the excitement of the centennial,” said Bopp, “we do remind patrons- and perhaps more importantly our bears- that snacks are not part of the circulating collection.”

A Very Important Anniversary

Winnie-the-Pooh was first published on October 14, 1926, introducing readers to a “Bear of Very Little Brain” with a very large appetite for honey. One hundred years later, the timing of the curious bears visit seems more than a coincidence.

The library invites the community (human members only) to celebrate the centennial by visiting any of the seven branches of the Mono County Free Libraries for a copy of Winnie-the-Pooh, or related bear titles!

On A Serious Note, Briefly

Pooh may be cuddly, but Mammoth’s bears are wild. Residents and visitors are reminded to:

• Keep a safe distance and never approach or feed a bear
• Use bear-resistant trash containers and keep car doors and windows closed
• Report bear encounters to Mammoth Lakes Police Department 760-932-7549, option 7.  Or 911 in an emergency.

As Pooh himself might say, it’s best to think, think, think before getting too close.