Private Wojtek

This memorial stands in Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh depicting a soldier walking in unity with a bear.  The bronze statue was sculpted by Alan Beattie Herriot and was unveiled on 7th Nov 2015. 

The story goes...
The bear was first spotted as a cub by a group of Polish soldiers passing through Iran.  It's mother had been shot by hunters and so the soldiers kept the cub and called him Wojtek (meaning 'Joyful Warrior').  At first, Wojtec had difficulty drinking and eventually managed to be bottle-fed condensed milk by the soldiers, along with fruit, honey, marmalade and syrup.  He enjoyed wrestling with the soldiers and was taught to salute when greeted.  Wojtek became the unofficial mascot of all the troops in the surrounding area.  With the army, he moved through Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Egypt.  To get Wojtek onto a British transport ship to travel with the Polish Corps, he became a serving member of the army as a Private and was listed among the soldiers of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company (who's official emblem became an image of a bear carrying an artillery shell).  He had his own paybook, rank and serial number and lived with the other men in tents.  He helped carrying ammunition and never dropped a single crate.  At the end of WW2, Wojtek was transferred to Berwickshire in Scotland with the rest of the 22nd Company.   He became popular with the locals and was made an Honorary member of the Polish-Scottish Association.  After demobilisation in November 1947, Wojtec was given to Edinburgh Zoo where he lived to the age of 21 until 1963.  In that time, he was visited by many people, including his Polish soldier friends and was also a guest on TV's Blue Peter.  There are many memorials created to Wojtek and this one is a spectacle for many a visitor to Edinburgh.  Many people seem to think it's lucky to rub his nose - which has resulted in a very shiny gold-coloured nose on the statue.  There is a plaque on the wall nearby depicting Wojtek's story so everyone can hear of his eventful life.