Talk:Hercules (bear)

Delete?
This article should be a Speedy Delete. What is it even talking about? Random facts and references related to Hercules? What's all this about a bear? --Phoenix Hacker 11:22, 27 July 2006 (UTC)


 * Hercules was apparently quite popular during the 1980s, especially in the United Kingdom. I've cleaned up this article; it should now be fit to stay. ~  &#9658; W y k e b j s &#9668;  (userpage | talk) 14:21, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

I've taken out the lengthy section that talks about Hercules' death in a tragic boating accident. It was obviously a total fabrication. It reflects badly on Mr Wykebjs with his lovely multi-colour signature block that he didn't think to wonder how a sixty-something former wrestler could drag a thirty-stone bear through the choppy and freezing waters of a loch and over a mile and a half of Scottish countryside. Or why Mr Robin was boating on a loch with a bloody bear. A bloody crippled bear. Ashley Pomeroy 13:56, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

For future reference, the article had this to say about Hercules' demise:

"Hercule (sic) eventually died on 4 February 2000 in a boating accident with Andy Robin in Scotland. While out on a loch in the family's boat, a build-up of gases in the bilge below caused the ship to explode. Andy and Hercules were hurled over 20 feet in the explosion, Hercules suffering serious injuries. Andy, who was himself severely burned, swam himself and the bear ashore, and tried to get help from the nearest cottage, which was over a mile away. The emergency services were unable to reach the remote location in time to save Hercules, and he died aged 25."

It was presumably sourced from this, which which states that:

"Andy Robin had a lumber cutting business back in Scotland & had a guy working for him while he was on the road wrestling.

They were out on a loch in Andy's boat when a build up of gases in the bilges caused it to explode hurling them 20 feet away!

Andy's back was all burnt & his arms & legs bleeding badly but he managed to swim ashore with his seriously injured mate.

They ran over a mile to a remote cottage to get help but his mate died later as the police & ambulance couldn't get to the area.

The officers had to hack their way through thick bush to get to him."

I can see where the mistake arose. It would take a huge amount of stupidity to make it, and to leave it in. It's indicative of Wikipedia's uselessness, and that of everybody who contributed to this article until I came along. It's written by anonymous dilettantes without responsibility or fear, who can spew out mistakes and falsehoods and shrug their shoulders when called on it. Ashley Pomeroy 14:04, 13 September 2006 (UTC)

I am sure that even though he was billed as Hercules the Grizzly bear" he was in fact a European Brown Bear not a Grizzly? can anyone find a source to verify this? Adouglasmhor (talk) 17:02, 26 November 2010 (UTC)

He hurt his back filming a TV programme, not an advert
Looks like the BBC news article is wrong or misleading. There's a documentary airing on Channel 5 as a write this (Hercules The Human Bear) that has interviews with Andy and Maggie Robin, apparently they were filming for a BBC documentary about bear hibination when he slipped a disc. Maybe it was an advert for the documentary or something? -- bitplane 217.41.49.177 (talk) 20:50, 3 April 2014 (UTC)

Year of death
There is debate about Hercules' year of death. Whilst the Robin's own site http://www.herculesthebear.com/ states 2001, all online articles from the time I can find, including http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/634157.stm, http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/5656/newsDate/9-Feb-2000/story.htm and https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.obituaries/r5wkhQt9XqI state 2000, as does an article by Maggie Robin at http://www.sunnygovan.com/GF/F-L/Hercules.html. It would seem that http://www.herculesthebear.com/ is (surprisingly) incorrect.

As a result, I have changed the date back to 2000 whilst fleshing out the entry in general. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Stuntbaby (talk • contribs) 00:59, 4 April 2014 (UTC)

"Surprisingly incorrect"? The plaque below the Hercules statue on North Uist states 2001 as the bear's year of death, too, and the Robins unveiled it themselves. Surely they would have noticed a mistake like that? Hercules was like a member of their family after all... — Comment added by Ivanbalich (talk) 11:30, 7 June 2014 (UTC)

Omnivore
How can this be an carnivora-stub when bears are omnivore? Vdkdaan (talk) 11:41, 20 August 2014 (UTC)


 * carnivora is the order of animals in taxonomy. many animals in carnivora are omnivorous. 147.147.218.34 (talk) 18:31, 26 December 2022 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 3 external links on Hercules (bear). Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20140517121503/http://herculesthebear.com/ to http://www.herculesthebear.com/
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20140517121503/http://herculesthebear.com/ to http://www.herculesthebear.com/
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20070212100942/http://www.sunnygovan.com/GF/F-L/Hercules.html to http://www.sunnygovan.com/GF/F-L/Hercules.html

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