Jan. 14, 2026

The Origin of Weird: Corporal Wojtek the Bear

The Origin of Weird: Corporal Wojtek the Bear
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A starving cub on a mountain trail becomes a brother in arms on one of World War II’s toughest fronts. We tell the full, rarely believed story of Wojtek—the Polish bear who learned to salute, drank beer with the unit, and carried live ammunition at Monte Cassino. What starts as a glimmer of hope for displaced soldiers grows into a frontline legend that lifted morale, inspired resistance, and left a symbol stitched onto uniforms: a bear hauling a shell.

We walk through the chance encounter in Iran, the makeshift adoption that turned grief into care, and the daily rituals that made a wild animal feel like family. When regulations threatened to leave him behind, the unit did what soldiers do best: they found a way. Wojtek got a paybook, a serial number, and a rank so he could board the ship to Italy. Under fire at Monte Cassino, he rose on his hind legs and moved crate after crate to the guns—steady, unafraid, and oddly human. That act became a touchstone for courage, the kind troops remember when the noise gets too loud and the ground gives way.

After the war, with Poland under Soviet control, the story didn’t end. We follow Wojtek’s path to Scotland, the bittersweet farewell to the army, and his years at the Edinburgh Zoo where veterans visited, spoke Polish through the fence, and watched their old comrade salute. Along the way, we unpack why mascots matter, how symbols shape unit identity, and what this bear tells us about morale, exile, and the long tail of memory in military history. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves unbelievable true stories, and leave a review to help more listeners find our corner of history.

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00:00 - Welcome And Setup

00:56 - Meet Wojtek The Bear

02:10 - Adoption On The March

03:21 - Camp Life And Antics

05:17 - From Mascot To Enlisted Soldier

06:47 - Voyage To Italy

07:44 - Monte Cassino Begins

08:53 - Wojtek Carries Ammunition

10:40 - Unit Emblem And Rising Fame

11:39 - War’s End And Exile

12:22 - Scotland And Difficult Choices

12:59 - Life At Edinburgh Zoo

14:28 - Legacy And Farewell

WEBVTT

00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:17.280
Oh hey there.

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Oh hey there.

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Well, you're not ready for me to say that.

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I am always ready.

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We are the History Buffoons.

00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:28.239
I am Kate.

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And I am Bradley, and this is The Origin of Weird.

00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:32.960
Yes, it is.

00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:37.759
Where we still are on the quest to find the origin of weird.

00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:38.320
Yes.

00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:38.960
Welcome.

00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:39.359
Yeah.

00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:40.479
How are you today?

00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:41.759
I'm doing pretty well.

00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:42.960
Excellent, excellent.

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I've got the sneezes.

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The cousin type.

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So um I've I don't have a cold.

00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:52.640
It's just like I think it's just random allergies, but yeah, you know, those winter allergies.

00:00:52.799 --> 00:00:52.960
Yeah.

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Or a rural bitch.

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Yeah.

00:00:56.000 --> 00:01:00.159
Okay, so we're gonna talk about a bear today.

00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:00.960
A bear?

00:01:01.119 --> 00:01:01.520
A bear.

00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:04.159
Like a grizzly, or do we have a specific type?

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Polish.

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Was he a boxer?

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Kind of.

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Okay.

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Why do you ask that?

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Because I didn't I know of a bear that was Polish that boxed.

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Really?

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Yeah.

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I don't remember his name.

00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:25.760
Well, this is about uh votech.

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Voitec?

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Yeah.

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It doesn't ring a bell.

00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:33.040
It's spelled W-O-J-T-E-K.

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They are so weird.

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But the W is pronounced with a V.

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Right.

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I guess it could be Voicek.

00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:41.359
Voicek?

00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:45.680
Voy Voy C Voitec is what I'm gonna pronounce it as.

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My apologies to the Polish if I have that wrong.

00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:51.200
So they use a W to sound like a V.

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But when you go to Russia and you want some vodka.

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Wodka.

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And our W is a double U.

00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:04.640
Which is weird because it's really a double W.

00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:05.680
Double V.

00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:08.000
Okay, let's see.

00:02:08.159 --> 00:02:10.719
Anyways, that's a weird tangent we went on.

00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:14.479
Okay, so we are um in the chaos of World War II.

00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:15.919
Ah, World War II.

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Thousands of Polish uh soldiers felt found themselves far from home, marching across the Middle East after being released from the Soviet gulags, which is a system of labor camps maintained by the Soviet Union from 1930 to 1955.

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All the way to 55.

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Holy shit.

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And then in April 1942, a group of these Polish troops traveled through Iran, stumbled upon a starving orphaned bear cub in the Zargros Mountains.

00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:52.639
And so the Zargros?

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Zagros Zagros.

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Zagros, that's in Iran?

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Apparently.

00:02:57.280 --> 00:02:57.599
Okay.

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I am not very familiar with the layout of or the geography of Iran.

00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:06.000
So no.

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So the cub's mother had been shot by hunters, and a young boy had been taking care of the bear with as with the limit limited means that he had for himself.

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Okay.

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So moved by this little frail cub, the soldiers offered the boy some coins, some food rations, chocolate, and a Swiss army knife in exchange for the cub.

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That's that's pretty cool.

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The boy agreed, and just like that, the Polish unit had a new companion.

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So they named the Cub Void Voytek.

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It's a common Polish name meaning joyful warrior or smiling warrior.

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Okay.

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And it actually came to be pretty true.

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Okay.

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At this at the time, these soldiers, which were part of um the General Anders Polish II Corps, okay.

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Um were battle wary and displaced.

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They had lost their homes and their families.

00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:10.879
Um, and adopting Voytek gave them a new recruit essentially to lift their spirits.

00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:11.680
Yeah, for sure.

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It was something uh different out of the norm for what they were going through.

00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:23.759
So the company's commander approved the adoption specifically because he saw the potential to boost morale.

00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:28.319
Well, that's pretty pretty progressive of them at that time because normally they didn't give a fuck.

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They like fall in line.

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Yeah.

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So that's that's crazy.

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So the bear quickly became the beloved mascot and comrade.

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And one um Polish veteran later said that in the absence of their loved ones back home, caring for the bear was like having kind of a surrogate child or a sibling to love.

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Sure, yeah.

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And of course, this little orphan bear provided like a nice ray of hope and a little bit of quote unquote normalcy, because what's normal about that?

00:04:55.279 --> 00:05:06.720
But well, the funny thing is, um, I don't know ever know how true this was, but my dad is from very far up north, was from very far up north, and uh he had a pet bear.

00:05:06.959 --> 00:05:07.360
Did he?

00:05:07.519 --> 00:05:08.800
Yeah, when he was a kid.

00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:10.639
Uh similar situation.

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The the mom abandoned her, it was killed or whatever by a game warden, and so he helped raise it, and it got big, and then people complained, and the game warden shot it.

00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:25.600
So that's rude.

00:05:25.920 --> 00:05:27.600
I don't know how true that story was.

00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:29.600
What do you mean you don't know how true it is?

00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:30.879
It's coming from my dad.

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I never had proof.

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I doubt he was lying.

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I would hope not.

00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:37.120
No, we're talking bears, not lions.

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I'm not gonna beat me to it.

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But anyways, so yeah.

00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:48.959
So Voytex's early days with the unit were full of mischief um and a little bit of mayhem.

00:05:49.360 --> 00:05:50.079
I can imagine.

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At first, he was this tiny, malnourished cub who couldn't even swallow properly.

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The soldiers fed him condensed milk uh from empty vodka bottles.

00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:03.279
Nice and they improvised a nipple with a cloth.

00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:04.160
Oh, sure.

00:06:04.399 --> 00:06:05.040
Yeah.

00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:08.720
And but thanks to their care, the bear began to thrive.

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So he quickly developed a ferocious appetite.

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For vodka.

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One account notes that he ate everything from fruit, marmalade, honey, syrup, gobbled up the equivalent of 300 apples a day as he grew.

00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:28.240
Holy Christ.

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Of course, keeping a rapidly growing bear well fed was no small task for these men on the move.

00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:35.199
Yep.

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But the man, the men gladly tried.

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Sure.

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So as Voy Voittec grew, so did his antics.

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The tiny cub exploded in size, eventually reaching about six feet tall and weighing over 250 kilograms, which is about 550 pounds.

00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:54.160
Holy Christ.

00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:56.319
550 pounds.

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Six-foot-tall bear.

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It's my buddy.

00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:01.279
What the hell?

00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:05.839
But despite his size, he remained quite friendly with his human family.

00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:07.120
I'm sure.

00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:14.319
Um, so raised among people from such a young age, um, the bear seemed to think that he was a person.

00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:23.439
He would walk around on his hind legs alongside the men and earned learned to salute with his paw when greeted.

00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:24.160
Really?

00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:24.720
Mm-hmm.

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The soldiers taught him tricks and he became an expert at lightening the mood.

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Wrestling was one of his favorite pastimes.

00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:39.839
I'm sure he would play fight with the men, often taking on several at once, but he was careful never to hurt anyone.

00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:40.879
That's crazy.

00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:50.959
Um, an officer said, quote, he adored challenging other soldiers to wrestling matches, hiding his claws and pretending to bite, but never ever harming anyone.

00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:52.079
That's wild.

00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:52.879
Yeah.

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I mean, to pretend to bite.

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That's just that's that's impressive.

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Wow.

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Okay.

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So Voitek also picked up some wholesome habits, some less wholesome habits.

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Okay.

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He developed a taste for beer.

00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:09.680
Oh.

00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:10.399
Yes.

00:08:10.639 --> 00:08:11.839
What's wrong with that?

00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:12.800
Cheers.

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A drunk beer or drunk bear on beer.

00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:19.920
Wow.

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Okay.

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The troops would roll the beep bleep beep.

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The troops would reward him with a bottle of beer.

00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:29.120
The troops would?

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Mm-hmm.

00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:30.879
It's not like you said the troops would.

00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:31.839
The troops would.

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And he learned to hold it and drink it down like a man.

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That's funny.

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Sometimes chugging entire bottles to cheers with his friends.

00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:41.279
Jesus Christ.

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He also gained notoriety in eating cigarettes.

00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:45.840
Oh, gross.

00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:46.559
Yes.

00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:47.519
That's gross.

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When offered a lit cigarette, he would puff on it, then swallow it.

00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:55.600
When he really oh my god, what the hell?

00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:56.639
That's weird.

00:08:56.960 --> 00:09:01.519
If the cigarette wasn't lit, he'd beg for it to first be lit.

00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:05.519
And then yeah, and then he liked to swallow it.

00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:06.960
That's so strange.

00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:07.759
Okay.

00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:09.120
Yes.

00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:14.000
So Voytek even tried coffee in the mornings just like the men.

00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:20.159
And so in many ways, he was like one of the gu one of the guys enjoying like the simple pleasures of camp life.

00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:21.200
For sure.

00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:30.000
So despite occasional mischief like stealing unattended food or even soldiers' laundry, um, because sometimes he would sneak off with someone's underwear.

00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:30.480
Right.

00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:35.039
Um, Voitek was overwhelmingly a positive presence.

00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:35.519
Sure.

00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:39.840
He gave the men something to fuss over and laugh about amidst the hardships.

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His playful nature also had practical b uh benefits.

00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:50.159
Once, while stationed in the Middle East, Voittek caught an enemy spy lurking in a bathhouse.

00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:50.960
No way.

00:09:51.519 --> 00:09:52.720
What did he do to the spy?

00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:55.600
Can you be can you imagine being confronted by a bear?

00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:56.159
No.

00:09:56.720 --> 00:09:58.080
Hey guys, over here.

00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:00.480
Wait, the bear can talk.

00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:05.200
That would be freaky as fuck, because you don't know if it's friendly or not.

00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:05.840
No.

00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:08.879
So what did the bear do with the did it say?

00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:14.399
According to the tale, the spies screaming alerted the camp guards.

00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:14.879
Okay.

00:10:15.120 --> 00:10:18.320
Um, who then um apprehended the intruder intruder.

00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:18.879
Gotcha.

00:10:19.039 --> 00:10:19.200
Okay.

00:10:19.519 --> 00:10:23.279
And Wojtek was rewarded with extra beer for his service.

00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:24.879
Oh my god.

00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:34.480
By late 1943, um, Voytek was a full-fledged member of the unit, traveling with the soldiers through Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt.

00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:35.759
That's just crazy.

00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:40.320
And wherever the Polish II Corps went, their bear went too.

00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:49.840
Local civilians and other Allied troops were often astonished to see a tame bear riding in the trucks or sitting around the campfire.

00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:50.799
Well, yeah.

00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:51.679
What the hell?

00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:53.440
That's not something you see every day.

00:10:55.840 --> 00:10:56.480
Wow.

00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:58.399
I'm dying.

00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:01.919
Wowza.

00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:03.200
All right.

00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:04.240
All right.

00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:10.159
By late 1943, the Polish II Corps was pre uh preparing to join the fight in Europe.

00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:10.639
Okay.

00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:18.799
And Voytex Unit, um, which was a second 22nd artillery supply company, received orders to deploy to Italy.

00:11:19.039 --> 00:11:19.360
Oh.

00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:24.080
So this presented a bureaucratic problem.

00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:24.879
Yep.

00:11:25.440 --> 00:11:31.519
British transport ships had strict regulations forbidding pets or wild animals on board.

00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:32.080
Right.

00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:39.120
The soldiers were determined to get the bear on, so they made Voitek an official officer.

00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:50.799
In order to enlist the bear, the Polish Army issued Voitek a service paybook, assigned him a rank of private, and even gave him a serial service number.

00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:52.799
Did they get him a uniform?

00:11:53.440 --> 00:11:54.639
Um, I don't think so.

00:11:54.799 --> 00:11:56.399
I didn't read anywhere about a uniform.

00:11:56.639 --> 00:11:57.279
I was just curious.

00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:02.720
I mean, obviously, it's kind of hard to sew up a shirt for a bear, but you know, I just thought it'd be kind of funny.

00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:13.519
So, with the paperwork in order, Private Voittek um boarded the troop ship in February 1944 along with his fellow soldiers sailing from Egypt to the Italian front.

00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:15.200
That's just so crazy.

00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:17.919
Were there other people on the ship maybe?

00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:18.480
Oh, yeah.

00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:19.840
What the fuck, dude?

00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:20.399
Yep.

00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:22.799
Um, British officers went along with it.

00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:29.600
Um, Voitek enjoyed the voyage, and he repeatedly devoured his uh cigarette rations.

00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:35.679
So since he was an official member of Private, did he get rations like that then?

00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:36.480
Probably.

00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:37.200
That's funny.

00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:41.279
Be like, here, if you were seasick, just here, I can't have mine.

00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:42.879
Here's a cigarette, Voittek.

00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:51.279
So once in Italy, Voittek would face the toughest test yet: the brutal battle of Monte Cassino.

00:12:51.759 --> 00:13:03.919
In the spring of 1944, this battle was raging as Allied forces attempted to dislodge German troops from a heavily fortified, fortified monastery atop Monte Kit uh Casino.

00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:04.399
Okay.

00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:08.159
The Polish II Corps was key in the final assault.

00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:08.559
Oh.

00:13:08.799 --> 00:13:15.840
As the fighting intensified, W Wojtek Wojtek initially reacted like any animal might.

00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:23.919
The thunder of artillery and explosions scared him, and he went and sought com sought comfort by climbing a tree in panic.

00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:24.399
Okay.

00:13:24.639 --> 00:13:24.960
Okay.

00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:31.120
But seeing his human friend stand firm under fire, Voittek calmed down and got back on the ground.

00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:32.080
That's crazy.

00:13:32.320 --> 00:13:37.519
And then what happens next is basically what helped secure him into legend.

00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:38.000
Okay.

00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:38.720
Okay.

00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:52.159
One hectic day during battle, ammunition supplies for the Polish artillery were running low and needed to be ferried from supply trucks to the gun batteries through mud and incoming fire.

00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:52.799
Right.

00:13:52.960 --> 00:13:58.480
The hard-pressed soldiers formed human chains to carry the heavy crates of artillery shells.

00:13:58.720 --> 00:13:58.960
Sure.

00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:02.720
Wojtek watched this activity just as it was happening.

00:14:02.879 --> 00:14:03.279
Yeah.

00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:11.120
An exhausted shoulder soldier, half joking, nodded at the bear and said, Come on, Mike, give us a hand.

00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:13.279
Just like that, I'm sure.

00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:13.919
I'm sure.

00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:14.559
For sure.

00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:15.360
Yep.

00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:36.720
To everyone's astonishment, Votek rose onto his hind legs, plodded over to the truck, picked up a hundred-pound crate of mortar shells in his massive paws, balanced on two legs, walking like a person, and carried the crate to the gun crew and then went back for another.

00:14:36.960 --> 00:14:37.519
That's crazy.

00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:38.399
Then another.

00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:41.440
Well, especially because he can carry a lot more than those people can.

00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:43.200
He's like, okay, I got this.

00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:44.639
This is this is peanuts.

00:14:44.879 --> 00:14:52.559
A British soldier who witnessed this recalled quote, suddenly a large bear appeared walking upright on its hind legs.

00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:58.879
The bear approached the rear of the gun carriage and carefully placed the artillery shell it was carrying on the ground.

00:14:59.039 --> 00:15:04.879
Then it retreated back into the forest, only to reappear moments later with another shell in its paws.

00:15:05.120 --> 00:15:06.320
That's fucking crazy.

00:15:06.480 --> 00:15:08.960
That's so weird that a bear could be like, all right.

00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:10.320
I got this.

00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:16.799
So Voytek had become the most efficient ammunition carrier of the 22nd Company.

00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:17.679
Yeah, no kidding.

00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:20.639
Never dropping a single crate even under enemy fire.

00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:21.440
That's crazy.

00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:26.720
He worked at his own pace, taking the occasional break when he felt like it because he is a bear.

00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:27.360
Yep.

00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:30.000
But he did keep this up throughout the battle.

00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:31.519
That's wild.

00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:37.279
So, thanks in part to these efforts, the Polish troops succeeded in their objective.

00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:44.159
On May 18th, 1944, the Polish flag was raised over the captured Monte Cassino monastery.

00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:47.679
And a pi this was a pivotal victory for the Allies.

00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:51.840
So Voytek's contribution became legendary at this point.

00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:52.320
Sure.

00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:57.120
The soldiers were proud of their bear, so they made him the emblem of their unit.

00:15:57.360 --> 00:15:57.679
Nice.

00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:04.960
The 22nd Company's official badge was changed to a dispic the picture of a bear carrying an artillery shell.

00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:06.159
That's fucking awesome.

00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:06.799
Yeah.

00:16:07.120 --> 00:16:14.320
So this insignia was worn on uniforms and painted on vehicles, and it was obviously the constant reminder of his service.

00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:15.120
Yeah.

00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:20.080
So his Voytek's fame started spreading.

00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:20.639
Sure.

00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:25.200
Allied generals and war correspondents heard about the bear soldier and came to visit.

00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:26.320
The bear soldier.

00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:32.799
He reportedly got along famously with visitors as long as they offered him his two favorite things: treats and a friendly wrestle.

00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:34.159
Oh, there you go.

00:16:34.399 --> 00:16:39.440
By the end of the Italian campaign, Voytek had his promotion.

00:16:39.679 --> 00:16:40.080
Sorry.

00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:43.039
Uh Voytek had been promoted to the rank of corporal.

00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:44.080
Jesus Christ.

00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:47.360
Making him so fucking weird.

00:16:47.759 --> 00:16:49.840
Well, seriously, that is amazing.

00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:53.919
And of course, making him the only bear in history to ever hold a rank.

00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:57.840
Uh yeah, private was good enough, let alone going up to corporal.

00:16:58.000 --> 00:16:59.279
That's fucking crazy.

00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:00.480
Wow.

00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:08.640
So a story is told of a pol Polish resistance fighter um back in occupied Poland.

00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:08.880
Okay.

00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:15.680
Who was on the verge of losing hope until a friend told him about Wojciech's exploits, saying, quote, don't give up.

00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:18.640
Look, even the animals are fighting for us.

00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:28.640
That absurd yet inspiring reality that even a bear was doing his bit against the Nazis gave the man renewed courage or courage to carry on.

00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:29.759
That's fucked up.

00:17:29.920 --> 00:17:30.400
Yes.

00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:31.599
Thanks, Bear.

00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:36.480
So after Monte Cassino, the war in Italy wound down for the Polish II Corps.

00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:36.799
Yeah.

00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:44.079
Um, Voy Void Tech um enjoyed a bit of um rest and relaxation on the Adriatic coasts with the troops.

00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:45.200
He went to the beach.

00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:48.960
He loved to frolic on the beach and swim in the sea.

00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:50.079
Oh, there you go.

00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:52.400
In front of other vacationers.

00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:56.960
They're like, um, um, should we be should we run?

00:17:57.519 --> 00:17:58.480
There's a bear there.

00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:03.200
Of course, during this leisurely time, yeah, he had wrestling matches.

00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:04.079
Of course.

00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:14.559
Several soul soldiers would attempt to best the 500-pound bear who would humor them by pinning them gently or splashing around in the water, much to everyone's amusement.

00:18:16.640 --> 00:18:24.400
When World War II ended in 1945, victory was bittersweet for Wojtek's uh Polish comrades.

00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:30.640
Their homeland was now under Soviet control, and many soldiers could not safely return to Poland.

00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:31.119
Right.

00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:37.279
The Polish II Corps was disbanded, and its men became displaced veterans in exile.

00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:42.720
As they pondered their futures, um, they also had to decide what to do with Wojtek.

00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:43.279
Yeah.

00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:48.720
So the bear, now a full-grown adult, had been by their side through pretty much it all.

00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:49.200
Yep.

00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:51.519
And they felt responsible for his future.

00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:52.480
I would hope so.

00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:55.519
They loved him dearly, but they knew they couldn't keep him as a pet.

00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:56.240
Right.

00:18:56.480 --> 00:19:05.839
So in late 1946, the 22nd company was transported to Britain, ultimately setting up camp in the British borders.

00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:11.200
Voytek made the journey as well, listed officially as just another soldier in the transfer.

00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:12.720
Corporal Votek.

00:19:13.440 --> 00:19:17.200
In Scotland, he initially stayed with the Polish soldiers at the camp.

00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:17.599
Okay.

00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:22.160
The local Scottish children were delighted by the friendly Polish bear in their midst.

00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:25.680
They would come by to see Voytek and even take turns riding on his back.

00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:31.599
And Votek attended all local dances and gatherings with the ex-soldiers charming everyone.

00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:32.559
That's crazy.

00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:40.160
There are even claw marks on a tree near the camp, which legend attributes to Voitek climbing his favorite tree during the period.

00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:42.720
But I wasn't I'm not so sure that that's true.

00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:45.119
That could just be made up legend or something.

00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:45.599
Yeah.

00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:52.319
So for a while the post war life seemed to be pretty nice still.

00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:53.599
Yeah, for sure.

00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:59.119
As the soldiers um gradually left the camp to start new lives, uh huh.

00:19:59.279 --> 00:19:59.759
Voytex.

00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:01.920
Circle of human friends grew smaller.

00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:02.480
Sure.

00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:06.640
By 1947, it became clear that the army could no longer take care of him.

00:20:06.880 --> 00:20:07.200
Right.

00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:08.640
So they faced a choice.

00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:21.440
Wojtek could be sent to a zoo, or as a few suggested, possibly euthanized, um, there were fears that he could be misused as a propaganda symbol if sent to communist Poland.

00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:22.079
Right.

00:20:22.559 --> 00:20:27.039
So for the men who loved him, the latter option was unthinkable.

00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:32.559
That was like they uh arranged for Wojtek to be entrusted to the Edinburgh Zoo.

00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:33.119
Oh.

00:20:33.359 --> 00:20:33.839
Yes.

00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:41.200
So the Edinburgh um authorities agreed on the condition that Wojtek would have a permanent home and be well cared for.

00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:50.799
Also in November of 47, Corporal Wojtek formally retired from military service and moved to the zoo.

00:20:51.200 --> 00:20:51.519
Okay.

00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:55.839
So when the day came to say goodbye, it was an emotional scene.

00:20:56.079 --> 00:21:02.079
Wojtek's primary caretaker, um Peter Prenzine, sorry, that's all right.

00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:07.359
The soldier who had been his mama bear since Iran traveled with him to get him settled in.

00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:08.000
Nice.

00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:12.799
At the zoo, um, Peter removed Voytek's chain and prepared to leave.

00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:16.000
The big bear gently licked his friend's face.

00:21:16.640 --> 00:21:22.559
A final affectionate gesture recalling how they used to look how he used to lick soldiers' faces and wake them up in the mornings.

00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:23.359
Oh, geez.

00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:32.160
The zoo director later confessed that he had never felt more sad than at that moment seeing a free-spirited animal who loved to play now behind bars.

00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:34.480
Which is I have a hard time at zoos.

00:21:34.720 --> 00:21:42.079
Um I know just because of that, like yeah, but it's like like Wisconsin, we have elephants.

00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:44.000
Wouldn't see those otherwise.

00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:44.400
Yeah.

00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:46.319
And they're very well cared for.

00:21:46.480 --> 00:21:46.720
Yeah.

00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:51.279
It's not like they're like dance, monkey, you know.

00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:57.359
But so in the years that follow, Voytek became a popular attraction at the zoo.

00:21:57.680 --> 00:21:58.000
Sure.

00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:05.920
Visitors, um, local Scots, and other large community of Polish war veterans in Britain would come see the famous soldier bear.

00:22:06.079 --> 00:22:06.720
Oh, of course.

00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:13.440
Um, he would amble around his enclosure, often sitting on his haunches to wave or salute when he heard encouraging voices.

00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:19.359
Former Polish soldiers who served with Wojtek would make a point to come visit him.

00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:19.920
Nice.

00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:24.799
Um, sometimes hopping the fence after hours to give their their friend a hug.

00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:25.839
Jeez.

00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:29.359
They discovered that Wojtek never forgot his roots.

00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:36.000
He used to perk up at the sound of the Polish language, standing upright and scanning the crowd for familiar faces.

00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:36.720
Oh, thanks.

00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:37.759
I know sweet.

00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:41.680
On occasion, his former conrads would toss him cigarettes.

00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:55.440
Um he had lived a true extraordinary life for a bear, marching, wrestling, fighting alongside humans, delivering artillery.

00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:56.640
I mean, Jesus Christ.

00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:03.839
And now he found himself amongst an ordinary zoo with animals who probably seemed fairly dull.

00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:05.920
To him, yeah, I would imagine.

00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:09.119
He never did fully acclimate to life in captivity.

00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:10.640
Are you surprised at that, though?

00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:13.200
I mean, he's he was a free bear, if you will.

00:23:13.359 --> 00:23:13.519
Yeah.

00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:17.519
Like you said before, where he never felt so sad seeing someone behind bars or whatever.

00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:18.000
Yeah.

00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:26.000
But um, yeah, I mean, it's gonna be tough for him because he was treated so differently from a from a bear.

00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:26.319
Yeah.

00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:28.720
So yeah, of course he didn't acclimate that well.

00:23:29.039 --> 00:23:35.920
So other bears did not interest him much, and he would often retreat to a corner, growing listless as the years passed on.

00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:42.640
Some say he had the air of a lonely veteran, missing the camaraderie and excitement of his glory days.

00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:43.119
Yep.

00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:50.480
One could argue that, like many Polish soldiers in exile, Wojtek too was a displaced soul after the war.

00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:51.279
Sure.

00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:55.440
Wojtek lived at the zoo for 16 years.

00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:56.240
Oh wow.

00:23:56.480 --> 00:24:01.519
In December of 1963, the age of 21 or 22 by some accounts.

00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:02.000
Sure.

00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:03.759
His health deteriorated.

00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:11.039
He was suffering from esophageal problems, maybe due in part to his uh cigarettes and his beer.

00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:11.440
Yeah.

00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:23.839
Wojtek was peacefully euthanized on December 2nd, 1963, bringing an end to life to bringing an end to the life of one of the world's most unusual soldiers.

00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:29.599
His death made newspaper headlines and tributes poured in from those who remembered the bear.

00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:30.000
Yeah.

00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:35.839
The Edinburgh Evening News noted that old Polish veterans who knew Wojtek were shedding tears that day.

00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:41.839
It was if they lost another brother in arms, in which in which in truth they they had.

00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:42.880
Oh, for sure.

00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:45.920
I mean, he was their their comrade.

00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:48.240
I mean, he fought alongside him.

00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:49.119
That's so fucking weird.

00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:50.079
Isn't that awesome?

00:24:50.319 --> 00:24:51.200
That's just weird.

00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:52.160
That's great.

00:24:52.400 --> 00:24:54.559
I mean, how cool is that?

00:24:54.880 --> 00:24:58.240
That you could say I fought alongside a bear.

00:24:58.400 --> 00:24:58.960
Well, not even that.

00:24:59.039 --> 00:25:02.240
You'll hear a lot of people like, yeah, I fought in World War II.

00:25:02.640 --> 00:25:05.279
I fought in World War II next to a fucking bear.

00:25:05.680 --> 00:25:11.920
You know, obviously both are great, but um could you imagine like so?

00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:13.039
What did you do in the war?

00:25:13.200 --> 00:25:14.240
Fought next to a bear.

00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:14.559
Yeah.

00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:15.359
Like, wait, what?

00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:16.319
You fought a bear?

00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:16.559
No.

00:25:16.640 --> 00:25:16.799
Yeah.

00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:17.279
With one.

00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:17.920
With one?

00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:18.720
Like, what?

00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:20.480
We shared bears afterwards.

00:25:20.720 --> 00:25:22.319
He ate my cigarettes.

00:25:22.880 --> 00:25:24.160
How fucking weird is that?

00:25:24.319 --> 00:25:25.440
That's fucking awesome.

00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:27.599
He pinned me down in a wrestling match.

00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:30.079
He's he's gonna let me win once, but he didn't.

00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:32.160
He was such a nice bear.

00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:33.039
Isn't that awesome?

00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:34.319
So it was super cool.

00:25:34.880 --> 00:25:35.839
I never heard of that before.

00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:36.880
That was fucking funny.

00:25:37.119 --> 00:25:38.640
So it's different than the boxing bear.

00:25:38.799 --> 00:25:42.000
Yeah, I could be getting, I thought he was Polish, but I could be getting it wrong.

00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:43.759
I just remember Bear That Boxed.

00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:44.960
I don't remember what year it's from.

00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:47.839
I don't remember the name, but stay tuned for future episodes.

00:25:48.079 --> 00:25:49.039
Potentially, yes.

00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:57.200
I'll have to see, unless I'm just thinking of some weird fucking movie that's crossing over into reality in my brain, which is very probable.

00:25:57.440 --> 00:25:59.279
Um yeah, anyways.

00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:00.480
No, that was super cool.

00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:00.960
Yeah.

00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:02.000
That's so funny.

00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:03.200
But well.

00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:04.400
I suppose.

00:26:04.640 --> 00:26:05.680
All right, buffoons.

00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:07.039
That's it for today's episode.

00:26:07.359 --> 00:26:11.440
Buckle up because we've got another historical adventure waiting for you next time.

00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:13.839
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00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:18.799
Or maybe you have a burning question or a wild historical theory for us to explore?

00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:20.400
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00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:25.279
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00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:29.759
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00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:32.880
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00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:37.759
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00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:41.359
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00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:44.160
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