Valladolid's new mascot....

[Moriarty]

Oh Lawrence, will you ever win?

 

 

[Jambof3tornado]

Very impressive,and as long as its being looked after properly its probably as well off as any zoo bears that you see.

[7628mm]

i want us to have a bear.

 

vlad, buy us a bear. you can choose it yourself if you like.

 

Please no no no

 

If we leave it to him we will end up with 2 or 3 mascots that we don't need and are of no use to us when all we want and really really need is a bear

[upthehill]

Honour sought for 'Soldier Bear'

Voytek the bear - Picture courtesy Imperial War Museum

Voytek was billeted in the Borders (Picture: Imperial War Museum)

A campaign has been launched to build a permanent memorial to a bear which spent much of its life in Scotland - after fighting in World War II.

 

The bear - named Voytek - was adopted in the Middle East by Polish troops in 1943, becoming much more than a mascot.

 

The large animal even helped their armed forces to carry ammunition at the Battle of Monte Cassino.

 

Voytek - known as the Soldier Bear - later lived near Hutton in the Borders and ended his days at Edinburgh Zoo.

 

He was found wandering in the hills of Iran by Polish soldiers in 1943.

 

 

He liked a cigarette, he liked a bottle of beer - he drank a bottle of beer like any man

Augustyn Karolewski

 

They adopted him and as he grew he was trained to carry heavy mortar rounds.

 

When Polish forces were deployed to Europe the only way to take the bear with them was to "enlist" him.

 

So he was given a name, rank and number and took part in the Italian campaign.

 

He saw action at Monte Cassino before being billeted - along with about 3,000 other Polish troops - at the army camp in the Scottish Borders.

 

The soldiers who were stationed with him say that he was easy to get along with.

 

"He was just like a dog - nobody was scared of him," said Polish veteran Augustyn Karolewski, who still lives near the site of the camp.

 

Voytek the bear - Picture courtesy Imperial War Museum

The bear travelled with troops (Picture: Imperial War Museum)

 

"He liked a cigarette, he liked a bottle of beer - he drank a bottle of beer like any man."

 

When the troops were demobilised, Voytek spent his last days at Edinburgh Zoo.

 

Mr Karolewski went back to see him on a couple of occasions and found he still responded to the Polish language.

 

"I went to Edinburgh Zoo once or twice when Voytek was there," he said.

 

"And as soon as I mentioned his name he would sit on his backside and shake his head wanting a cigarette.

 

"It wasn't easy to throw a cigarette to him - all the attempts I made until he eventually got one."

 

Voytek was a major attraction at the zoo until his death in 1963.

 

Eyemouth High School teacher Garry Paulin is now writing a new book, telling the bear's remarkable story.

 

'Totally amazing'

 

Local campaigner Aileen Orr would like to see a memorial created at Holyrood to the bear she says was part of both the community and the area's history.

 

She first heard about Voytek as a child from her grandfather, who served with the King's Own Scottish Borderers.

 

"I thought he had made it up to be quite honest but it was only when I got married and came here that I knew in fact he was here, Voytek was here," she said.

 

"When I heard from the community that so few people knew about him I began to actually research the facts.

 

"It is just amazing, the story is totally amazing."

[Shinzo]

Very impressive,and as long as its being looked after properly its probably as well off as any zoo bears that you see.

 

Not a mascot..it was a circus bear that "happened" to turn up at a training session for some publicity. The bear's name is Yogui,he was in town with the circus for the Valladolid fiestas.

Valladolid had a fans day at the circus,discounts for season ticket holders etc. There was a bit of controversy as the circus has bears,elephants,lions and horses..but in reality mostly from "outsiders".

[sked21]

It's the forward rolls that get me. Genius.