Smokey Bear Still Wants You to Prevent Forest Fires for His 80th Birthday
If you’ve ever traveled around the country and visited a national park, you’ve likely noticed Smokey Bear, who asks you to help prevent forest fires. The U.S. Forest Service first showcased Smokey in 1944 and his slogan was “Smokey Says — Care Will Prevent 9 out of 10 Forest Fires,” aiming to prevent unplanned outdoor fires that threaten our forests and wildlife. Smokey Bear is celebrating his 80th birthday this year and is officially the longest-running public service announcement campaign in United States history.
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Turns out that a real bear cub inspired the story of Smokey just a few years later in 1950. In the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico, a major wildfire was discovered and crews from all over set out to control the fire. While they were working on it, a bear cub was seen wandering on its own near the fire line. They believed the mother bear would come back for it but he was later found in a tree with badly burned paws and hind legs.
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The crew rescued the bear cub, and a rancher took him home to get treated. Many people heard about the adorable cub and wanted updates on how he was recovering. The cub eventually went to the National Zoo in Washington D.C. and became the living Smokey Bear, where he remained until he died in 1976 of old age.
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Smokey on TV
In the late ’60s, there was a TV show based on the bear always escaping fires called The Smokey Bear Show. Famed Animagic producers Rankin/Bass released The Ballad of Smokey the Bear in 1966 with James Cagney as the narrator.
As the years went on, Smokey Bear has gone through visual changes with each decade. Of course, he has also gotten TV commercials, posters, stamps and now social media posts to remind everyone to prevent forest fires. Visit the website to see all of the changes Smokey Bear has gone through in each decade, and let us know what your favorite version of the bear is!
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June 2023
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