Hercules (bear) facts for kids
Statue of Hercules the bear at Langass Woods, Isle of North Uist, Scotland
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| Species | Brown Bear |
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| Born | 1975 Scotland |
| Died | February 4, 2001 (aged 25–26) |
| Occupation | Actor |
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Hercules (1975 – 4 February 2001) was a very special grizzly bear from Scotland. He became famous for acting in many TV shows and movies, especially in the 1980s. People loved Hercules because he was a big, friendly bear who acted almost like a person.
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Hercules' Early Life
Hercules was born in 1975 at the Highland Wildlife Park in Kingussie, Scotland. The park already had many bears and couldn't keep him. If no one took him, he would have been put down.
A Scottish wrestler named Andy Robin heard about the cub. Andy had once wrestled with another bear called Terrible Ted. In 1976, Andy and his wife Maggie bought Hercules for £50. They wanted to train him. When Hercules was old enough, they brought him home to Sheriffmuir, near Dunblane.
Hercules grew very fast! In just one year, he weighed about 190 kilograms (420 pounds).
Becoming a Star
Hercules first performed with Andy in wrestling shows across the UK in the late 1970s.
In 1980, Andy paid £10,000 to make a documentary called Hercules the Wrestling Bear. This film helped Hercules become well-known. Soon, he started getting small acting jobs on television.
The Great Escape
Hercules became a huge star after an amazing adventure. In August 1980, he was filming a TV commercial for Kleenex on an island called Benbecula in Outer Hebrides. Suddenly, he escaped!
Hercules was missing for 24 days. Hundreds of people helped search for him. Andy kept looking even after others gave up. On September 13, a local farmer saw Hercules swimming. He was safely caught and flown back to Andy by helicopter.
The story made Hercules famous all over the world. News reporters gathered to see him. Hercules had lost nearly half his weight because he only liked cooked food. He refused to eat raw meat from the sheep or other animals on the island. This made people love him even more, as he seemed like a "big softy." This event also led to a famous Kleenex ad campaign. After this, Hercules acted more and more like a human with his "parents," Andy and Maggie.
Hollywood Bear
Hercules went on to have a big film career. He appeared in the James Bond movie Octopussy (1983) with Roger Moore. He also starred in a documentary for the Disney company. Hercules even lived in California for two years, taking on many small film roles and appearing on chat shows. All his hard work earned his owners a lot of money.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1997, while filming a BBC documentary called Eyewitness Bear, Hercules had an accident. He fell and hurt his back, which ended his acting career. Andy helped him recover over six months, even with swimming exercises. Hercules slowly learned to walk again. However, the next winter, he lost the use of his legs once more.
Hercules, or Herc as he was often called, passed away from old age on February 4, 2001. He was 25 years old, which is about how long grizzly bears usually live.
In 2013, a life-size statue of Hercules was put up on North Uist. Andy and Maggie were there to show it to everyone. In 2014, a new documentary called Hercules the Human Bear was shown on Channel 5 (UK).
Fun Facts About Hercules
- Hercules was on the cover of Time magazine.
- He helped promote the Miss World contest.
- Hercules once carried golf clubs for comedian Bob Hope at the Gleneagles golf course in Scotland.
- The Scottish Tourist Board named Hercules "Personality of the Year." He even got a special message from Ronald Reagan, who was the President of the United States at the time.
- A Scottish music group called "Gaberlunzie" wrote a song about Hercules for their 2003 album.
- Hercules even acted as a stunt double for another famous bear, Gentle Ben, in a charity wrestling match.
