Wojtek (bear)
Wojtek The Soldier Bear | |
|---|---|
Polish soldier with Wojtek | |
| Native name | Wojtek |
| Born | 1942 Hamedan, Iran |
| Died | 2 December 1963 (aged 21) Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland |
| Allegiance | Poland |
| Branch | Polish Land Forces |
| Service years | 1943–1945 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Service number | 253 |
| Unit | 3522, 22nd Artillery Supply Company, 2nd Polish Corps |
| Conflicts | World War II |
| Memorials | Wojtek Memorial Trust |
| Website | thesoldierbear |
Wojtek (1942 – 2 December 1963; Polish pronunciation: [ˈvɔjtɛk]; in English sometimes phonetically spelled Voytek) was a Syrian brown bear who was given to Polish soldiers as a gift by an Iranian shepherd near Hamedan, Iran, during World War II and was adopted by soldiers of the 2nd Polish Corps, whom Wojtek accompanied to Italy, serving with 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.
"Wojtek" is a diminutive of the given name "Wojciech", an old Slavic name still common in Poland.