The Origin of Weird: Corporal Wojtek the Bear

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.

Transcript

Welcome And Setup

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Oh hey there.

SPEAKER_02 0:18

Oh hey there.

SPEAKER_00 0:19

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

SPEAKER_02 0:21

I am always ready.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

We are the History Buffoons.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

I am Kate.

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

SPEAKER_02 0:32

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_00 0:33

Where we still are on the quest to find the origin of weird. Yes. Welcome.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:39

How are you today?

SPEAKER_02 0:40

I'm doing pretty well.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Excellent, excellent.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

I've got the sneezes.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

The cousin type.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

So um I've I don't have a cold. It's just like I think it's just random allergies, but yeah, you know, those winter allergies.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

Yeah. Or a rural bitch.

Meet Wojtek The Bear

SPEAKER_02 0:54

Yeah. Okay, so we're gonna talk about a bear today.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

A bear?

SPEAKER_02 1:01

A bear.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Like a grizzly, or do we have a specific type? Polish. Was he a boxer? Kind of. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Why do you ask that?

SPEAKER_00 1:14

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

SPEAKER_02 1:17

Really?

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Yeah. I don't remember his name.

SPEAKER_02 1:22

Well, this is about uh votech.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Voitec?

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

It doesn't ring a bell.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

It's spelled W-O-J-T-E-K.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

They are so weird.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

But the W is pronounced with a V.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

Right.

SPEAKER_02 1:38

I guess it could be Voicek. Voicek? Voy Voy C Voitec is what I'm gonna pronounce it as. My apologies to the Polish if I have that wrong.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

So they use a W to sound like a V. But when you go to Russia and you want some vodka. Wodka.

SPEAKER_02 1:59

And our W is a double U.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Which is weird because it's really a double W. Double V.

SPEAKER_02 2:07

Okay, let's see.

Adoption On The March

SPEAKER_00 2:08

Anyways, that's a weird tangent we went on.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

Okay, so we are um in the chaos of World War II.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Ah, World War II.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

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.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

All the way to 55. Holy shit.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

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.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

And so the Zargros?

SPEAKER_02 2:53

Zagros Zagros.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Zagros, that's in Iran?

SPEAKER_02 2:56

Apparently.

SPEAKER_00 2:57

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

SPEAKER_02 3:05

So no. 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.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

Okay.

Camp Life And Antics

SPEAKER_02 3:17

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.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

That's that's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

The boy agreed, and just like that, the Polish unit had a new companion. So they named the Cub Void Voytek. It's a common Polish name meaning joyful warrior or smiling warrior.

SPEAKER_00 3:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

And it actually came to be pretty true.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 3:51

At this at the time, these soldiers, which were part of um the General Anders Polish II Corps, okay. Um were battle wary and displaced. They had lost their homes and their families. Um, and adopting Voytek gave them a new recruit essentially to lift their spirits.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

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

SPEAKER_02 4:16

So the company's commander approved the adoption specifically because he saw the potential to boost morale.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Well, that's pretty pretty progressive of them at that time because normally they didn't give a fuck. They like fall in line. Yeah. So that's that's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 4:31

So the bear quickly became the beloved mascot and comrade. 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. Sure, yeah. 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?

From Mascot To Enlisted Soldier

SPEAKER_00 4:55

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. Did he? Yeah, when he was a kid. Uh similar situation. 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.

SPEAKER_02 5:22

So that's rude.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

I don't know how true that story was.

SPEAKER_02 5:27

What do you mean you don't know how true it is?

SPEAKER_00 5:29

It's coming from my dad. I never had proof.

SPEAKER_02 5:33

I doubt he was lying.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

I would hope not.

SPEAKER_02 5:35

No, we're talking bears, not lions.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

I'm not gonna beat me to it. But anyways, so yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:41

So Voytex's early days with the unit were full of mischief um and a little bit of mayhem.

SPEAKER_00 5:49

I can imagine.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

At first, he was this tiny, malnourished cub who couldn't even swallow properly. The soldiers fed him condensed milk uh from empty vodka bottles. Nice and they improvised a nipple with a cloth. Oh, sure. Yeah. And but thanks to their care, the bear began to thrive. So he quickly developed a ferocious appetite.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

For vodka.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

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

SPEAKER_00 6:27

Holy Christ.

SPEAKER_02 6:28

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

SPEAKER_00 6:34

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 6:35

But the man, the men gladly tried.

SPEAKER_00 6:38

Sure.

Voyage To Italy

SPEAKER_02 6:39

So as Voy Voittec grew, so did his antics. The tiny cub exploded in size, eventually reaching about six feet tall and weighing over 250 kilograms, which is about 550 pounds.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Holy Christ. 550 pounds. Six-foot-tall bear. It's my buddy. What the hell?

SPEAKER_02 7:01

But despite his size, he remained quite friendly with his human family. I'm sure. Um, so raised among people from such a young age, um, the bear seemed to think that he was a person. He would walk around on his hind legs alongside the men and earned learned to salute with his paw when greeted.

SPEAKER_00 7:23

Really?

Monte Cassino Begins

SPEAKER_02 7:24

Mm-hmm. The soldiers taught him tricks and he became an expert at lightening the mood. Wrestling was one of his favorite pastimes. I'm sure he would play fight with the men, often taking on several at once, but he was careful never to hurt anyone. That's crazy. 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.

SPEAKER_00 7:51

That's wild.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:53

I mean, to pretend to bite. That's just that's that's impressive. Wow. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 7:59

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

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 8:07

He developed a taste for beer. Oh. Yes. What's wrong with that? Cheers. A drunk beer or drunk bear on beer.

SPEAKER_00 8:19

Wow. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

The troops would roll the beep bleep beep. The troops would reward him with a bottle of beer.

SPEAKER_00 8:28

The troops would? Mm-hmm. It's not like you said the troops would.

SPEAKER_02 8:31

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

SPEAKER_00 8:35

That's funny.

SPEAKER_02 8:35

Sometimes chugging entire bottles to cheers with his friends.

SPEAKER_00 8:40

Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_02 8:41

He also gained notoriety in eating cigarettes.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Oh, gross. Yes. That's gross.

SPEAKER_02 8:47

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

Wojtek Carries Ammunition

SPEAKER_00 8:52

When he really oh my god, what the hell? That's weird.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

If the cigarette wasn't lit, he'd beg for it to first be lit. And then yeah, and then he liked to swallow it.

SPEAKER_00 9:05

That's so strange. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:08

Yes. So Voytek even tried coffee in the mornings just like the men. And so in many ways, he was like one of the gu one of the guys enjoying like the simple pleasures of camp life.

SPEAKER_00 9:20

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 9:21

So despite occasional mischief like stealing unattended food or even soldiers' laundry, um, because sometimes he would sneak off with someone's underwear.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

Right.

SPEAKER_02 9:30

Um, Voitek was overwhelmingly a positive presence. Sure. He gave the men something to fuss over and laugh about amidst the hardships. His playful nature also had practical b uh benefits. Once, while stationed in the Middle East, Voittek caught an enemy spy lurking in a bathhouse.

SPEAKER_00 9:50

No way. What did he do to the spy?

SPEAKER_02 9:52

Can you be can you imagine being confronted by a bear?

SPEAKER_00 9:55

No.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

Hey guys, over here. Wait, the bear can talk.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

That would be freaky as fuck, because you don't know if it's friendly or not. No. So what did the bear do with the did it say?

SPEAKER_02 10:09

According to the tale, the spies screaming alerted the camp guards.

SPEAKER_01 10:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Um, who then um apprehended the intruder intruder. Gotcha. Okay. And Wojtek was rewarded with extra beer for his service.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

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

SPEAKER_00 10:34

That's just crazy.

Unit Emblem And Rising Fame

SPEAKER_02 10:36

And wherever the Polish II Corps went, their bear went too. Local civilians and other Allied troops were often astonished to see a tame bear riding in the trucks or sitting around the campfire.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

Well, yeah. What the hell? That's not something you see every day. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 10:57

I'm dying. Wowza.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

All right.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

All right. By late 1943, the Polish II Corps was pre uh preparing to join the fight in Europe.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

And Voytex Unit, um, which was a second 22nd artillery supply company, received orders to deploy to Italy.

SPEAKER_01 11:19

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 11:19

So this presented a bureaucratic problem.

SPEAKER_00 11:24

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 11:25

British transport ships had strict regulations forbidding pets or wild animals on board.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

Right.

War’s End And Exile

SPEAKER_02 11:32

The soldiers were determined to get the bear on, so they made Voitek an official officer. 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.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Did they get him a uniform?

SPEAKER_02 11:53

Um, I don't think so. I didn't read anywhere about a uniform.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

I was just curious. 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.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

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.

SPEAKER_00 12:13

That's just so crazy. Were there other people on the ship maybe? Oh, yeah. What the fuck, dude? Yep.

Scotland And Difficult Choices

SPEAKER_02 12:20

Um, British officers went along with it. Um, Voitek enjoyed the voyage, and he repeatedly devoured his uh cigarette rations.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

So since he was an official member of Private, did he get rations like that then? Probably. That's funny.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Be like, here, if you were seasick, just here, I can't have mine.

SPEAKER_00 12:41

Here's a cigarette, Voittek.

Life At Edinburgh Zoo

SPEAKER_02 12:44

So once in Italy, Voittek would face the toughest test yet: the brutal battle of Monte Cassino. 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.

SPEAKER_00 13:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 13:04

The Polish II Corps was key in the final assault.

SPEAKER_00 13:08

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 13:08

As the fighting intensified, W Wojtek Wojtek initially reacted like any animal might. The thunder of artillery and explosions scared him, and he went and sought com sought comfort by climbing a tree in panic. Okay. Okay. But seeing his human friend stand firm under fire, Voittek calmed down and got back on the ground.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 13:32

And then what happens next is basically what helped secure him into legend.

SPEAKER_00 13:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 13:38

Okay. 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. Right. The hard-pressed soldiers formed human chains to carry the heavy crates of artillery shells.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

Sure.

Legacy And Farewell

SPEAKER_02 13:59

Wojtek watched this activity just as it was happening. Yeah. An exhausted shoulder soldier, half joking, nodded at the bear and said, Come on, Mike, give us a hand. Just like that, I'm sure. I'm sure. For sure. Yep. 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.

SPEAKER_00 14:36

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 14:37

Then another.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

Well, especially because he can carry a lot more than those people can.

SPEAKER_02 14:41

He's like, okay, I got this.

SPEAKER_00 14:43

This is this is peanuts.

SPEAKER_02 14:44

A British soldier who witnessed this recalled quote, suddenly a large bear appeared walking upright on its hind legs. The bear approached the rear of the gun carriage and carefully placed the artillery shell it was carrying on the ground. Then it retreated back into the forest, only to reappear moments later with another shell in its paws.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

That's fucking crazy. That's so weird that a bear could be like, all right. I got this.

SPEAKER_02 15:11

So Voytek had become the most efficient ammunition carrier of the 22nd Company.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Yeah, no kidding.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

Never dropping a single crate even under enemy fire.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

He worked at his own pace, taking the occasional break when he felt like it because he is a bear.

SPEAKER_00 15:26

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 15:27

But he did keep this up throughout the battle.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

That's wild.

SPEAKER_02 15:31

So, thanks in part to these efforts, the Polish troops succeeded in their objective. On May 18th, 1944, the Polish flag was raised over the captured Monte Cassino monastery. And a pi this was a pivotal victory for the Allies. So Voytek's contribution became legendary at this point. Sure. The soldiers were proud of their bear, so they made him the emblem of their unit.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

The 22nd Company's official badge was changed to a dispic the picture of a bear carrying an artillery shell. That's fucking awesome. Yeah. So this insignia was worn on uniforms and painted on vehicles, and it was obviously the constant reminder of his service.

SPEAKER_01 16:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:16

So his Voytek's fame started spreading. Sure. Allied generals and war correspondents heard about the bear soldier and came to visit. The bear soldier. He reportedly got along famously with visitors as long as they offered him his two favorite things: treats and a friendly wrestle.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 16:34

By the end of the Italian campaign, Voytek had his promotion. Sorry. Uh Voytek had been promoted to the rank of corporal.

SPEAKER_00 16:43

Jesus Christ. Making him so fucking weird. Well, seriously, that is amazing.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

And of course, making him the only bear in history to ever hold a rank.

SPEAKER_00 16:54

Uh yeah, private was good enough, let alone going up to corporal. That's fucking crazy. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 17:01

So a story is told of a pol Polish resistance fighter um back in occupied Poland.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 17:09

Who was on the verge of losing hope until a friend told him about Wojciech's exploits, saying, quote, don't give up. Look, even the animals are fighting for us. 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. That's fucked up. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

Thanks, Bear.

SPEAKER_02 17:32

So after Monte Cassino, the war in Italy wound down for the Polish II Corps.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

Um, Voy Void Tech um enjoyed a bit of um rest and relaxation on the Adriatic coasts with the troops.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

He went to the beach.

SPEAKER_02 17:45

He loved to frolic on the beach and swim in the sea.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

In front of other vacationers.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

They're like, um, um, should we be should we run? There's a bear there.

SPEAKER_02 17:58

Of course, during this leisurely time, yeah, he had wrestling matches. Of course. 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. When World War II ended in 1945, victory was bittersweet for Wojtek's uh Polish comrades. Their homeland was now under Soviet control, and many soldiers could not safely return to Poland.

SPEAKER_00 18:30

Right.

SPEAKER_02 18:31

The Polish II Corps was disbanded, and its men became displaced veterans in exile. As they pondered their futures, um, they also had to decide what to do with Wojtek. Yeah. So the bear, now a full-grown adult, had been by their side through pretty much it all.

SPEAKER_00 18:48

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 18:49

And they felt responsible for his future.

SPEAKER_00 18:51

I would hope so.

SPEAKER_02 18:52

They loved him dearly, but they knew they couldn't keep him as a pet.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

Right.

SPEAKER_02 18:56

So in late 1946, the 22nd company was transported to Britain, ultimately setting up camp in the British borders. Voytek made the journey as well, listed officially as just another soldier in the transfer.

SPEAKER_00 19:11

Corporal Votek.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

In Scotland, he initially stayed with the Polish soldiers at the camp.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:17

The local Scottish children were delighted by the friendly Polish bear in their midst. They would come by to see Voytek and even take turns riding on his back. And Votek attended all local dances and gatherings with the ex-soldiers charming everyone.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

That's crazy.

SPEAKER_02 19:32

There are even claw marks on a tree near the camp, which legend attributes to Voitek climbing his favorite tree during the period. But I wasn't I'm not so sure that that's true.

SPEAKER_00 19:43

That could just be made up legend or something.

SPEAKER_02 19:45

Yeah. So for a while the post war life seemed to be pretty nice still.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 19:54

As the soldiers um gradually left the camp to start new lives, uh huh. Voytex. Circle of human friends grew smaller. Sure. By 1947, it became clear that the army could no longer take care of him. Right. So they faced a choice. 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. Right. So for the men who loved him, the latter option was unthinkable. That was like they uh arranged for Wojtek to be entrusted to the Edinburgh Zoo.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 20:33

Yes. So the Edinburgh um authorities agreed on the condition that Wojtek would have a permanent home and be well cared for. Also in November of 47, Corporal Wojtek formally retired from military service and moved to the zoo.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 20:52

So when the day came to say goodbye, it was an emotional scene. Wojtek's primary caretaker, um Peter Prenzine, sorry, that's all right. The soldier who had been his mama bear since Iran traveled with him to get him settled in.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 21:08

At the zoo, um, Peter removed Voytek's chain and prepared to leave. The big bear gently licked his friend's face. A final affectionate gesture recalling how they used to look how he used to lick soldiers' faces and wake them up in the mornings.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Oh, geez.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

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. Which is I have a hard time at zoos.

SPEAKER_00 21:34

Um I know just because of that, like yeah, but it's like like Wisconsin, we have elephants. Wouldn't see those otherwise.

SPEAKER_02 21:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:44

And they're very well cared for. Yeah. It's not like they're like dance, monkey, you know.

SPEAKER_02 21:51

But so in the years that follow, Voytek became a popular attraction at the zoo. Sure. Visitors, um, local Scots, and other large community of Polish war veterans in Britain would come see the famous soldier bear. Oh, of course. Um, he would amble around his enclosure, often sitting on his haunches to wave or salute when he heard encouraging voices. Former Polish soldiers who served with Wojtek would make a point to come visit him.

SPEAKER_00 22:19

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

Um, sometimes hopping the fence after hours to give their their friend a hug.

SPEAKER_00 22:25

Jeez.

SPEAKER_02 22:26

They discovered that Wojtek never forgot his roots. He used to perk up at the sound of the Polish language, standing upright and scanning the crowd for familiar faces. Oh, thanks.

SPEAKER_00 22:36

I know sweet.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

On occasion, his former conrads would toss him cigarettes. Um he had lived a true extraordinary life for a bear, marching, wrestling, fighting alongside humans, delivering artillery.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

I mean, Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_02 22:56

And now he found himself amongst an ordinary zoo with animals who probably seemed fairly dull.

SPEAKER_00 23:04

To him, yeah, I would imagine.

SPEAKER_02 23:06

He never did fully acclimate to life in captivity.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

Are you surprised at that, though? I mean, he's he was a free bear, if you will. Yeah. Like you said before, where he never felt so sad seeing someone behind bars or whatever. Yeah. But um, yeah, I mean, it's gonna be tough for him because he was treated so differently from a from a bear. Yeah. So yeah, of course he didn't acclimate that well.

SPEAKER_02 23:29

So other bears did not interest him much, and he would often retreat to a corner, growing listless as the years passed on. Some say he had the air of a lonely veteran, missing the camaraderie and excitement of his glory days.

SPEAKER_01 23:42

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 23:44

One could argue that, like many Polish soldiers in exile, Wojtek too was a displaced soul after the war. Sure. Wojtek lived at the zoo for 16 years. Oh wow. In December of 1963, the age of 21 or 22 by some accounts. Sure. His health deteriorated. He was suffering from esophageal problems, maybe due in part to his uh cigarettes and his beer. Yeah. 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. His death made newspaper headlines and tributes poured in from those who remembered the bear.

SPEAKER_01 24:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:30

The Edinburgh Evening News noted that old Polish veterans who knew Wojtek were shedding tears that day. It was if they lost another brother in arms, in which in which in truth they they had.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

Oh, for sure. I mean, he was their their comrade. I mean, he fought alongside him. That's so fucking weird.

SPEAKER_02 24:49

Isn't that awesome?

SPEAKER_00 24:50

That's just weird. That's great. I mean, how cool is that?

SPEAKER_02 24:54

That you could say I fought alongside a bear.

SPEAKER_00 24:58

Well, not even that. You'll hear a lot of people like, yeah, I fought in World War II. I fought in World War II next to a fucking bear. You know, obviously both are great, but um could you imagine like so? What did you do in the war? Fought next to a bear. Yeah. Like, wait, what? You fought a bear? No. Yeah. With one.

SPEAKER_02 25:17

With one? Like, what? We shared bears afterwards.

SPEAKER_00 25:20

He ate my cigarettes. How fucking weird is that? That's fucking awesome.

SPEAKER_02 25:25

He pinned me down in a wrestling match.

SPEAKER_00 25:27

He's he's gonna let me win once, but he didn't. He was such a nice bear.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

Isn't that awesome?

SPEAKER_00 25:33

So it was super cool. I never heard of that before. That was fucking funny.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

So it's different than the boxing bear.

SPEAKER_00 25:38

Yeah, I could be getting, I thought he was Polish, but I could be getting it wrong. I just remember Bear That Boxed. I don't remember what year it's from.

SPEAKER_02 25:45

I don't remember the name, but stay tuned for future episodes. Potentially, yes.

SPEAKER_00 25:49

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. Um yeah, anyways. No, that was super cool. Yeah. That's so funny. But well.

SPEAKER_02 26:03

I suppose.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

All right, buffoons. That's it for today's episode.

SPEAKER_02 26:07

Buckle up because we've got another historical adventure waiting for you next time. Feeling hungry for more buffoonery? Or maybe you have a burning question or a wild historical theory for us to explore?

SPEAKER_00 26:19

Hit us up on social media. We're History Buffoons Podcast on YouTube, X, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also email us at history buffoonspodcast at gmail.com. We are Bradley and Kate, music by Corey Akers.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

Follow us wherever you get your podcasts and turn those notifications on to stay in the loop.

SPEAKER_00 26:38

Until next time, stay curious and don't forget to rate and review us.

SPEAKER_02 26:41

Remember, the buffoonery never stops.