Wojtek was a Syrian brown bear born in Hamadan, Iran in 1942. He was most famous for being purchased by the Polish troops, who had just been evacuated from the Soviet Union. He was then enlisted into the Polish army as a private, so he could receive the same rations the troops did. In fact, his name is Slavic for “joyful warrior” or “one who enjoys war”. At the beginning he was very difficult to feed and was fed condensed milk from an old vodka bottle. However, as he grew up he enjoyed fruits, marmalade and honey and he was even rewarded beer by the troops and he enjoyed smoking or eating cigarettes. He accompanied Polish troops into Italy to fight alongside the British 8th army in the Italian campaign all during World War 2. In the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek helped the Allies by transporting ammunition to the front line and reportedly never dropping a crate. In recognition of his efforts, the symbol of a bear holding a missile became the emblem for the 22nd Artillery Supply Company. After the war he was given to Edinburgh Zoo where he became very popular among locals and journalists. He eventually died there on December 2, 1963 at 21 years old. Wojtek is just one of the many examples of how amazing the animals of this planet are and why we should help endangered animals.