Community unites to help long-lost teddy find its way home
A teddy bear, thought to be lost in the outback, has been reunited with his family after their appeal for help went viral online.
Godron Wilson had been photographing his son’s ‘Pooh’ bear to keep the family entertained on their 5000-kilometre trip from Bowen, north Queensland, to Perth.
But, while snapping a photo of the cute stuffed animal on a fence post along the Barrier Highway near Broken Hill, Mr Wilson was “distracted by flies” and drove off with the family - only to realise hours later that the teddy was more than 150km away.
Though he decided against going back to retrieve it, he and his wife Lois took to social media to try and find the bear instead.
They posted in several Broken Hill Facebook groups asking if someone had seen or picked up the bear, and what came next shocked them.
Their appeals for help quickly spread all over the internet.
“I was actually quite amazed by the reaction and how many people were following the story,” Mr Wilson told the ABC.
Grazier Mitch Rodgers became one of many interested in the story, and took matters into his own hands.
Mitch Rodgers found the bear and planned to send him home by mail - until he had a better idea. Image: Mitch Rodgers
He drove out from Comarto Station near Wilcannia to find the bear - but that’s not where the story ends either.
Initially planning to send the bear home by mail, Mr Rodgers and Mr Wilson thought the adventure should continue and decided to find more people who wanted to travel with the bear on its journey home.
“Mitch went to great trouble and started to share the story on social media with some great photos,” Mr Wilson said.
“The story then took on a life of its own and if it wasn’t for Mitch it probably wouldn’t have got off the ground like it did.”
Mr Wilson said the story even gained fans in Scotland, where he has relatives.
He said Pooh travelled 150km to Broken Hill, then visited Silverton before heading south to Mildura, Victoria.
Mitch Rodgers with Pooh. Image: Mitch Rodgers
“He then received a lift from a couple to Adelaide and from there flew to Perth,” he said.
“I’ll tell you what it took off pretty quick,” Mr Rodgers said.
“It was just good to hear that people were getting a bit of joy out of it.”
Ben Wilson, 24, has had the bear since he was a baby and is still stunned that so many people went to such great lengths to return the teddy.
“I thought that was it, and I was never going to get him back,” he said.
“I’m grateful for Mitcch, the Broken Hill community along with anyone and everyone who was involved.”
When asked if Pooh would be heading out for another adventure anytime soon, Ben said it was “unlikely”.
“He’ll be staying with me until I have my first child and then when he or she gets old enough, I’ll tell them the story of what happened here,” Ben said.
“Because it’s not something we’re going to forget anytime soon.”
Image: Gordon Wilson