Lord Byron had a pet bear, according to people who knew the English poet. In 1805, Byron began attending Trinity College, where he was said to have kept a domesticated bear that followed him around in the same manner as a pet dog. Accounts of Byron’s pet bear generally state that the aristocratic poet brought the animal to stay in his dorm room out of retaliation for not being permitted to bring a dog; the official rules did not expressly forbid pet bears. Byron was known to have had an avid interest in keeping animals as pets, including monkeys and peacocks, throughout his life.
More about Lord Byron:
- Lord Byron’s daughter Augusta Ada worked with Charles Babbage on originating the first mechanical computer and is considered by many people to be the first computer programmer.
- Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, was one of Byron’s neighbors and closest friends after he fled to Geneva from England following his divorce amid rumors of a relationship with his half-sister.
- Although he was English, Byron died at the age of 36 after joining Greece's fight for independence from the Ottoman Empire.
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More Info: history.com
Discussion Comments
You all do realize this happened over 200 years ago?
One thing we need to realize is that certain animals are meant to live in the wild, and aren't meant to be domesticated. When we attempt to adapt them to our "house culture", we're bringing them out of their natural habitat.
In this day and age, is it legal anywhere to have a bear as a pet? Even if the answer is yes, I'm assuming you'd have to let it go when it grows older. No matter how well you train an animal (namely those who are wild), sooner or later, their natural instincts will kick in, and they might even try to attack you. For example - Can you imagine having a baby lion as a pet. I'm sure that would be pretty interesting. However, that would definitely change when they grow older. Sooner or later, their instincts would kick in, and they may even attack you if you haven't fed them enough.
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