According to Good Times, the pet is a dog, a cat, a bunny, and several reptiles. The 350-pound grizzly bear, on the other hand, is not on this list, and Casey Anderson feels the bear is more of a buddy than a pet.
Casey Anderson has always had a soft spot for animals. So much so that he was given the moniker “animal magnet.” He grew up with a love of nature and went on to become a trainer and animal advocate.
He opted to foster two cubs after learning that they were likely to be killed owing to congestion in the wildlife park. Unfortunately, only one of the cubs survived and was called Brutus by Casey.
Casey Anderson and Brutus share a closeness that transcends the owner-pet relationship.
The bear stayed at Casey’s house when he was little.
When the bear reached adulthood, Casey built a special house for him and other bears because he was “weary of looking at exploitation and cruelty in captivity” and wanted to “give the bears stuck in captivity a lovely home.”
Brutus and Casey are thick as thieves. They’re so close that Brutus went to his wedding.
Despite their close friendship, Casey is not a supporter of people keeping grizzly bears as pets. “My relationship with Brutus is special,” he explains. This is the result of years of expertise and instruction. And Brutus is a special bear.”
He believes Brutus to be 90% bear and 10% human since he appreciates the human stimulation he receives from numerous extracurricular activities.
Casey and Brutus have collaborated on several feature films, TV series, and even advertisements.
Casey was even invited to share his tale on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2009 when he acknowledged having a profound emotional connection with Brutus.
“I had a difficult time, I was quite sad… I sobbed. I could see Brutus was trying to make me feel better. He approached me and softly pushed me. He absolutely supported and listened to me, and he was there for me when I sobbed. That was exactly what I required from him.”
Casey seeks to educate the public and promote broad awareness of the issues that wildlife faces.
“Brutus can’t survive in the wild since he didn’t spend his first three years with his wild mother,” Casey adds. “In the wild, bears learn everything they need to know to live.”
He has rescued two more bears since Brutus and Casey appeared on The Oprah Show in 2009, and the facility currently shelters seven grizzlies. “Brutus has made a lot of new pals,” adds Casey. “We just rescued a baby grizzly bear named Bella.”
Because Casey and Brutus are so close, Casey is cautious while engaging with them. “I am certainly cautious while interacting with Brutus… I certainly do not treat him as if he were a pet. He’s a grizzly bear, you know “Casey states.
Casey is cautious not just for his own protection, but also because the injury may signal the end of the grizzly rescue effort and education.
“If something bad occurs to me, all of my achievements will be erased.” Then I’ll look like a moron for coming so near to a grizzly animal “Casey states. “It’s part of my obligation in this relationship to remember that, no matter how much I love him, no matter how much he is my closest friend, he is a grizzly bear.”
They’ve been friends for nearly a decade, and Casey feels their bond will survive for decades. “Bears may live for 30, 40 years,” he claims.
