Wojtek the Bear: The Nazis' Furriest Enemy

[Koovie]

Wojtek the Bear: The Nazis' Furriest Enemy

The tale is bizarre, but true. During World War II, an orphaned brown bear went from being a cuddly pet to an officially enlisted soldier in the Polish army, and reportedly saw fierce combat in Italy. Decades after the war and his death, "Wojtek" continues to be honored.

Wojtek: The Bear That Joined the Polish Army and Fought the Nazis - SPIEGEL ONLINE



A nice summary from 9gag:

 

[Jaggu]

Animals are very loyal to humans when humans show a little respect to the animal. This is especially true during times of war. During the battle of Balakot there was a donkey who was similarly helping the army of Syad Ahmad Barelvi:

Bareli to Balakot: Story of a Battle and a Dutiful Donkey : ALL THINGS PAKISTAN

What about Khota Qabar? Why was Khota Qabar so named?

On their way to Balkot the mujahideen had camped somewhere near present day Abbottabad. The Sikhs, in order to choke the mujahideen’s supply lines, posted troops on the hills overlooking the road that led through a gorge to Abbottabad. The mujahideen, sensing the risk of sending convoys through the gorge, cleverly, hired the services of a donkey without a handler to carry their supplies. Yes, Just one donkey.

Even though the donkey has, for some reason, become a metaphor of stupidity in our part of the world, it is not stupid at all. In fact, it has a good memory and uses it very intelligently. One of the unique traits of the donkey is that once he carries a load to a destination, he memorizes the route and does not need the help of a handler to be able to go back to the same place. Just a light kick in the back sends him trudging quietly to his destination. So, unknown to the Sikhs, this dutiful donkey trudged back and forth in the darkness of night carrying supplies to the mujhideen.

It wasn’t long before the Sikhs found out who the secret courier was. They shot him dead one night when he was carrying a load of goods through the gorge. The mujahideen mourned the loss of the donkey and honored him by burying him respectfully in a grave. The place came to be called as Khota Qabar. The grave may not have survived but the name did. Only a few years ago, someone decided to change the name to Muslimabad! Although a road sign does indicate the new name, the people in the area still know the place by its old name. And so does Google!

The above story, except the part on Khota Qabar, which is anecdotal, is based the following books:
1. Syed Ahmed Shaheed – Mujahid-e-kabir by Ghulam Rasool Mehr, 1981
2. Roedad-e-Mujahideen-e-Hind by Muhammad Khawas Khan, 1983

 

[flamer84]

"He also enjoyed smoking" ---that's animal cruelty !

Don't get me started on the fact that the bear belongs to Iran and was seized after the Allies illegally invaded that country.