In 1942, a small brown bear cub whose mother had been killed by hunters was found in Hamadan, Iran. Polish soldiers passing through the area adopted the cub and named him Wojtek, which means "smiling warrior" or "joyful warrior" in Polish. The soldiers raised him with a baby bottle, condensed milk, and honey, and he quickly became a part of the unit.
Over time, Wojtek learned the behaviors of the other soldiers in the camp. He would sleep in the tent with them, wrestle with them, and even chew on the cigarettes given as rations and drink beer in the evenings. It was also known that he would hug soldiers to keep them warm on cold nights.
In 1944, the Polish 2nd Corps set out to participate in the critical Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy. A problem arose at the British ports because civilian animals were forbidden from boarding military ships. To solve this, the Polish commanders came up with a practical solution: they officially enlisted Wojtek into the army.
Given the name Corporal Wojtek, the bear was assigned a serial number, a rank, and a salary. During the war, he took on the duty of transporting ammunition behind the front lines. He provided logistical support to the soldiers by carrying heavy artillery shell crates without any difficulty and without being frightened by the sounds of explosions. Following the war, many medals were minted in his honor.
After the war ended and the Polish units were demobilized, Wojtek needed to be placed in a safe location. In 1947, he was sent to the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland.
During his early years at the zoo, he missed his old friends and Polish commands. Whenever he heard the voices of visiting former Polish soldiers, he would approach the fence and ask for his favorite treats: cigarettes and beer. Passing away in 1963, Wojtek is remembered today with statues in Poland, Scotland, and various locations around the world.
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