Naturalist Casey Anderson has an unusual pet which is a major part of his life: A fully grown grizzly bear. How did his happen?

Casey’s love of the wild has led him to have other wild animals as pets such as otters but the gizzly bear is definitely the largest animal that he has adopted.

Main picture: Casey Anderson and his friend, Brutus, the friendly bear.

Why is he so close to Casey? Well Casey adopted him as newly born cub after spending his first six months in a six foot square steel box in a captive bear facility. Brutus’ life was preordained to be cage bound for the rest of his life until Casey adopted him. 

Only one cub survived so Casey adopted it

Brutus now lives the life of luxury at the Montana Grizzly Encounter Rescue and Educational Sanctuary. The facility was founded by Casey Anderson as a place to raise Brutus and aid in the study of grizzlies.

Due to the rapport between these two, that when Casey married Brutus received the nod to become his Best Man. His bride was actress Missi Pyle. Brutus is even allowed to have a place at the family’s dinner table.

Like all bears raised in captivity, Brutus can never been released in the wild as once they have been habituated to humans, their natural fear and reticence of humans would have vanished which will place them in great danger if they are released.