It is, however, when compared with his military teamates, that he looked a bit different: He was obviously a big guy, 6-foot tall and 500 pounds. You might even think he was a bit overweight but he did handle his stuff very well as a soldier.
In 1944, Voytek took part in the famous Battle of Monte Cassino, where his job was to transport ammunition. Though needless to fight with a gun, the rocky transportting route and the shower of bullets made the job no easier than a real battle. Yet Voytek never be scared out by firing sounds or dropped a crate that filled with explosives. Instead, he can move a 100 kg crate by his bare hands, which was definitely a record.
As an award for his perfect performance, the military headquarter then approved an effigy of Voytek holding an artillery shell as the official emblem of the 22nd Company.
After the military life, Voytek got a "job" at the Edinburgh Zoo. His old military friends visited him so often and brought him cigarettes sometimes. Again, Voytek was the well-known. Almost everyone visited the Zoo gave him a greeting.
In 1963, Voytek finally passed away, at the age of 22. Die young? Not really - for its species.
Still don't get it? Voytek was a Syrian brown bear.
二戰期間，波蘭軍隊中有一名與眾不同的小兵，名叫沃特克(#)。他閒時喜歡抽抽煙、喝喝酒，看來平常不過吧？只是和身旁戰友比起來，他明顯是大個子，昂藏六呎，體重達五百磅。你可能覺得他有點過重，但作為軍人，他絕對稱職。
1944年，有名的卡西諾修道院戰役，沃特克也有參戰，其時他負責運送槍砲子彈。雖然不用持槍上陣，但沿途冒槍林彈雨，路線也崎嶇難走，其艱鉅不遜酣戰。可是，沃特克從未被戰場的槍炮聲嚇得落慌而逃、也沒有把裝滿爆炸品的箱子弄跌。相反地，他徒手就能搬動過百公斤的彈藥箱，堪稱前無古人。
後來，軍方為了表揚沃特克完美的表現，准許其所屬第22砲運連把隊徽改動，刻上一個抱著砲彈的沃特克肖像。
軍旅生涯結束後，沃特克在愛丁堡動物園找到「工作」，老戰友不時來探望他，也會帶來香煙。沃特克在那裡依舊很受歡迎，幾乎每個來到動物園的人都會跟他打招呼。
1963年，沃特克過世了，年方22歲，有人慨嘆「英年早逝」，但以他的品種來說，其實也算壽終正寢了。
還不明白？沃特克是一頭敘利亞棕熊。
(#)註: 又譯「佛伊泰克」。
