8 Mind-Blowing Facts About Beer
3. The Polish Army Enlisted A Beer-Drinking Bear During World War II
The Polish army first encountered Wojtek the bear in the spring of 1942. At the time, Wojtek was just a small cub whose mother had recently been killed by hunters. A young Iranian boy took him in and eventually sold the bear to a Polish officer, while the army was in the city of Hamadan, Iran.
Since the military didn't allow troops to travel with pets, Wojtek was enlisted in the army as a private. The new private also had his own serial number and paybook. His main duties included transporting ammunition and artillery. The brown bear became quite good at hauling supplies and was eventually promoted to corporal.
During his time in the army, the men often rewarded Wojtek with cigarettes (which he ate) and beer. As one of his former handlers recalled, “He loved to drink from a beer bottle, and when it was empty, he would look through the opening to see where the rest of the beer was.” Beer would go on to become Wojtek's beverage of choice during his time in the service.
After World War II ended, the bear was sent to the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, where he stayed for the remainder of his life. During his time there, Wojtek's army buddies were known to visit their former comrade in arms and throw a few cigarettes his way.