Solider Bear 'Wojtek' on Princes Street, Edinburgh

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Wojtek, a Syrian brown bear born in 1942 and adopted by the soldiers of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the Polish II Corps, was enlisted as a soldier with the rank of Private. He later rose to the rank of Corporal and played a crucial role during the Battle of Monte Cassino by helping move crates of ammunition. Wojtek's name is derived from the Polish diminutive form "Wojciech," meaning "he who enjoys war" or "joyful warrior." After World War II ended in 1945, Wojtek was relocated to Berwickshire in Scotland with his unit. He became a local celebrity among civilians and the press, and was made an honorary member of the Polish-Scottish Association. Following demobilization on November 15, 1947, Wojtek was donated to Edinburgh Zoo, where he spent the rest of his life surrounded by visitors from the media and former Polish soldiers, who often shared cigarettes with him that he would eat unlit because no one was there to light them for him.