File:Wojtek_the_bear.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Wojtek
Sign in to saveAlso known as Wojtek (bear), Wojtek Bear, Woytek the Soldier Bear, Voytek the Soldier Bear, Wojtek the Bear, Voytek the Bear
Syrian brown bear cub found in Iran and adopted by Polish soldiers during WWII
Key facts
- Native name
- Wojtek
- Born
- 1942, Hamadan , Iran
- Died
- 2 December 1963 (1963-12-02) (aged 21), Edinburgh Zoo , Scotland
- Allegiance
- Poland
- Branch
- Polish Land Forces
- Service years
- 1943–1945
- Rank
- Corporal
- Unit
- 3522, 22nd Artillery Supply Company, 2nd Polish Corps
- Conflicts
- World War II Battle of Monte Cassino
- Memorials
- Wojtek Memorial Trust
- Website
- thesoldierbear .com
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Wojtek memorial statue, West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland, 28th May 2022.jpg
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- Wojtek (soldier bear)
- start of work period
- 1943-00-00
- date of birth
- 1941-00-00
- date of death
- 1963-12-02
- name in native language
- Wojciech Perski
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~10 min read
Article
Wojtek (1942 – 2 December 1963; Polish pronunciation: [ˈvɔjtɛk]; in English sometimes phonetically spelled Voytek) was a Syrian brown bear. He was purchased (accounts differ) by Polish soldiers from an Iranian shepherd near Hamedan, Iran, during World War II. Wojtek accompanied the 2nd Polish Corps to Italy, serving under the 22nd Artillery Supply Company.
In 1944, during the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek imitated his human comrades, carrying ammunition crates. He was promoted from private to corporal 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 in Scotland at the Edinburgh Zoo.