► Hercules the bear statue is unveiled
A TV documentary is to tell the story of Hercules, the wrestling grizzly bear which went on the run across Benbecula and North Uist.
Channel 5 is to look back at the bear that became the most famous animal in the world.
Hercules was bought as a cub from a Scottish zoo for £50 in 1976 and lived in Andy and Maggie Robin’s home for 25 years. Hercules grew to be a superstar on the celebrity circuit and through the love and devotion of Andy and Maggie, in their eyes, became human.
Extraordinary archive film footage reveals Hercules adapting to his new surroundings at the Sheriffmuir Inn and learning to wrestle with Andy, without killing him in the process, to the heart stopping moment he went missing in the Uists where the hunt for Hercules turned into international news.
The programme which airs in April concludes with a trip to Langass Woods where a
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Film director David Sumnall said: “This is a once in a lifetime story. Sharing your life with a grizzly bear like Andy and Maggie did will never be done again. They managed to form a completely unique bond with a very special bear.
“This was largely thanks to Hercules and Maggies’ incredible nature and the fact that Andy was as much a bear as Hercules was human! For anyone who loves their pets, and thinks they might have some ‘human’ in them – this is a must watch.”
► Hercules the bear statue is unveiled
Story of Hercules the bear told in TV documentary 9/3/13
Andy and Maggie Robin with Hercules