![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ab/Wojtek_the_bear.jpg/640px-Wojtek_the_bear.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Wojtek (bear)
Syrian brown bear cub adopted in Iran by Polish soldiers during World War II / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wojtek (1942 – 2 December 1963; Polish pronunciation: [ˈvɔjtɛk]; in English, sometimes phonetically spelled Voytek) was a Syrian brown bear[1][2] (Ursus arctos syriacus) bought, as a young cub, in the mountains of Iran, by Polish II Corps soldiers who had been evacuated from the Soviet Union. In order to provide for his rations and transportation, he was eventually enlisted officially as a soldier with the rank of private, and was subsequently promoted to corporal.[3]
Wojtek The Soldier Bear | |
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![]() Polish soldier with Wojtek in 1942 | |
Born | 1942 Hamedan, Iran |
Died | 2 December 1963(1963-12-02) (aged 21) Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland |
Allegiance | Poland |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | 1943–1945 |
Unit | 3522, 22nd Artillery Supply Company, II Corps (Poland) |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Memorials | Wojtek Memorial Trust |
Website | thesoldierbear |
He accompanied the bulk of the II Corps to Italy, serving with the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. During the Battle of Monte Cassino, in Italy in 1944, Wojtek helped move crates of ammunition and became a celebrity with visiting Allied generals and statesmen. After the war he was mustered out of the Polish Army and lived out the rest of his life at the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland.