Wojtek: The soldier bear that wrestled and drank beer

Events from history have always amazed me, but very few have warmed my heart. The story of Wojtek the bear is one of them. Wojtek was born as a Syrian brown bear around 1942 AD. He was found as a cub near the railway tracks in Iran by the Polish Army. His mother had been fatally shot by the hunters and he was left guardianless. So, he was taken in by the Polish Army in the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. They decided to name him Wojtek, meaning a happy warrior.

At the start, Wojtek found it hard to accommodate. But as time went on, he found it habitual to be around a bunch of friendly humans. He was fed milk from an old vodka bottle. He tried to imitate the soldier’s activities by walking on hind legs. So much so that he smoked/ate cigarettes, drank coffee early in the morning. And out of all the drinks, beer was his favorite. He often wrestled and was taught to offer salutation when greeted. At night, especially in winter, he slept with the other soldiers.

Later, the Polish II Corps was assigned to fight alongside the British eighth army. And they forbade animals of any kind. So, to accommodate Wojtek, he was officially drafted into the Polish army as a private. With such authority, he obtained his pay book, rank, and a serial number. In the battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek assisted largely by carrying 100 pounds (45 kg) crates of 25 pounds artillery shells. One of the British Soldiers reported having seen a bear carrying military equipment. He at once carried boxes that normally required 4 men. Such service of his earned him the rank of corporal. In honor of his work, a depiction of a bear carrying an artillery shell was adopted as the official emblem of the 22nd company.

After the war was over, Wojtek was given to Edinburg zoo on November 15, 1947. There, he spent the rest of his life. He was a crowd favorite and very popular thanks to the coverage by the press. He was often visited by the soldiers who fought alongside him at the time of war and they fed him cigarettes. He died in December 1962 at the age of 21.