Man Raises Grizzly Bear To Be His Close Friend

Jul 19, 2020 by apost team

Naturalist Casey Anderson adopted Brutus the grizzly bear in 2002 from a wildlife park after learning that he would most likely be kept in captivity forever or euthanized due to overpopulation at the reserve.

Casey Anderson has always felt a special connection with wild animals. He has felt this way towards them since he was a young boy growing up in Montana. Over the past few years, he has delved into wildlife conservation and education.

It is quite uncommon for a man to interact closely with wild animals of predatory nature. However, according to Daily Mail, Anderson's bond with Brutus, an 800-pound grizzly bear helps him win the favor of other wild animals. Anderson has reared and looked after Brutus since he was a young cub.

Anderson originally found Brutus in the Alaskan mountains. Brutus was sadly seated near his recently deceased mother. Anderson decided to rescue the cub and has cared for him ever since.

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Of course, bears grow to massive sizes and when Brutus got too large to live in Anderson's home, he created the Montana Grizzly Encounter Rescue and Educational Sanctuary.

Brutus often appears on TV shows alongside Anderson. According to his website, he also makes an appearance as Anderson's co-host on the National Geographic WILD series. As if TV fame is not enough, Brutus has also found fame in the film industry. He has appeared in two movies: Iron Ridge (2008) and Pretty Ugly People (2008).

"This connection goes beyond just taking care of Brutus," Casey told Oprah in an interview.

"They're very, very emotional animals...When he was a little baby, I was bottle-feeding him and I looked down in his eyes. He had a little tear in his eye. I just kind of chalked it up to him straining as he was sucking down the bottle. Several years later, Brutus got a bit of a bellyache. In his eyes, he had the same tear. At that moment, I realized that grizzly bears can feel the same emotions we do."

Anderson further elaborates on his strong relationship with Brutus:

"I was having a hard time, was really upset about some things... I was crying. I could see that he wanted to take the pain away from me. He came up to me very gently and nudged me. He just stood by me unconditionally and he listened to me and he was there when I was crying. It's truly what I needed from him. This relationship is a give-and-take."

The Montana Grizzly Encounter Rescue & Educational Sanctuary was founded in 2004 in Bozeman, Montana. This sanctuary is a natural and spacious home for rescued grizzly bears.

While it offers shelter, visitors can also visit the grizzlies and learn more about them. The sanctuary currently holds five bears, however, three of them could not be released in the wild. These bears are often rescued from inhumane captive situations across the nation.

Raised in captivity has its ups and downs for grizzly bears. While they are cared for by humans, they are actually never able to leave captivity. This is because the bear will lack the necessary education to survive in the wild and avoid interactions with other humans.

The sanctuary tries to give these bears the best life possible, all while educating the public about these majestic creatures. There are no bars or fences to keep the bears in, making the sanctuary an optimal place for these bears to be. This sanctuary is completely free for school trips and teaches hundreds of children every year about these animals. 

What do you think about having a grizzly bear as your best friend? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article on to your friends and family!