Mr Howdy

Mr Howdy was a polar bear (Ursus maritimus) exhibited at the Birmingham Zoo in the 1960s-1970s. He was known for standing erect and waving his forepaw at visitors to encourage them to throw food across the moat separating the bear exhibit from the public walkway. At that time, keepers encouraged visitors to feed the animals, but attempted to discourage throwing potentially dangerous items such as balloons, chewing gum, and paper.