The Animals we made famous: From Tusko to Jimothy

Mysterious Pacific Northwest · Oct 1, 2026 · 51m

Long before Jimothy became Seattle’s internet-famous raccoon, the Pacific Northwest had a long history of making animals into celebrities.

Tusko. Bobo. Ivan. Namu. And plenty of other animals who captured the public’s attention and became part of our local history.

But why do we single out certain animals and become so fascinated with them? And what does that fascination tell us about the way our relationship with animals has changed?

From zoos and department-store windows to roadside attractions and TikTok, we’re taking a look at the animals we made famous and how far we’ve come.

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