Casey Anderson - The Story of Brutus

MY LIFE WITH BRUTUS THE BEAR
AND THE GRIZZLIES OF NORTH AMERICA

CASEY ANDERSON

PEGASUS BOOKS
NEW YORK

DEDICATION

W HEN I SAT DOWN TO WRITE THIS BOOK, IT WAS LIKE opening a treasure chest of memories. As I dug deep into my mind, I often relived and felt each moment and remembered the forgotten. What a wild ride it has been since the very beginning. But along the way, one thing stood out to me very clearly. I was born with a passion, a desire to pursue a career and lifestyle that was very unorthodox and outside the box, so to speak. Without the full support of my family and friends, I would never be where I am now. Most people would call me crazy and ask me why I didnt I go get a real job. I never had that obstacle. I was allowed to run free and follow my dreams, and was often encouraged, even when there seemed to be little hope. My father, mother, brothers, and sister all stood by my decisions and put their fear aside, knowing that I was living the life I wanted. Others believed in my dreams and came along for the ride, dedicating their own lives and allowing the dream to continue. Dad, Mom & Tim, Jeremy, Patrick, Aaron, Windy, and the rest of my family, thank you for being my foundation. John, Ami, Judy, and my Montana Grizzly Encounter crew, thank you for being my strong and nurturing heart, pumping relentlessly and keeping our dream alive. Thank you to the Grizzly Creek Film team for helping take this dream to another level. And to my beautiful wife Missi, thank you for being my soul mate, giving me inspiration, and being my hero. Without you, I would be lost in the wilderness of loneliness. I write this book for all who remain untamed as they follow their hearts, and of course, for my best friend, Brutus.

CONTENTS

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

W HEN I FIRST DISCOVERED CASEY AND HIS REMARKABLE relationship with Brutus, stories like Christian the Lion and Tarra the elephant and her best friend, Bella, a dog, had already charmed millions, as I myself had been. I was always hoping that I too would have the chance to be part of a story that touched so many.

My own journey into bear country began with a photo of Brutus sharing a Thanksgiving turkey with Casey Anderson and his family in Montana, and soon segued into a visit to the National Geographic website and clips of Andersons show, Expedition Grizzly and Expedition Wild, Brutuss very own web page, and the remarkable organization that is the Montana Grizzly Encounter.

What struck me at once about Anderson and Brutus was that, for all the other heartwarming animal stories out there, theirs alone focused on conservation, education, and protecting the integrity of our natural world. Not content with being a YouTube phenomenon, Casey took it upon himself many years ago to create a preserve to foster bears like Brutus who had been born into captivity (in some cases, cruel and inhuman captivity) and could not be returned to the wild, yet who still deserved to grow up and live out their lives being bears. This preserve would also be a way for people to see grizzlies in a more natural state and learn about these magnificent, powerful creatures, who are neither bloodthirsty killers nor giant teddy bears. They are complex, emotional creatures who form lifelong relationships and truly have the capacity to love. Cubs will cry when their mother abandons them; Brutus jokes with Casey and loves to ham it up for company as much as any budding Hollywood starlet. He has his own personality, distinct from other bears out there, as they too have their own unique temperaments and characters.

But an even more important facet of Casey and Brutuss work is educating us humans, the adaptive species, on how we can better live alongside our grizzly neighbors. Bears and humans have always had a close bond: the sloth bears in India, the spectacled bears of Peru, the polar bear paparazzi in Canada. Yet this relationship has become strained in recent years, and it is up to us to make it right. And there is no place better to start than in one of the greatest bear enclaves in the world, Yellowstone National Park.

As someone who has been fascinated by the natural world since childhood and a staunch advocate for environmental protection, I found this part of Caseys mission to be the most compelling of all, prompting me to pick up the phone almost two years ago and contact the Encounter. This was a story that needed to reach a wider audience so that even city slickers like me can understand the fascinating nuances of animal behavior and experience the wonders of an icy cold night on a mountainside, with only grizzlies and moths for company. This story needed to be told so that recreational backpackers can understand the world they are entering when they step out onto the trailso that the braided path of bear and human existence will continue for a new generation. Never before has the bond between man and bear been so intimately explored, and I hope you will be as moved by the remarkable Story of Brutus as I was.

Jessica Case

Pegasus Books

New York, 2010

CHAPTER 1

COCO AND CORKY

T HERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT ME, BUT BRUTUS IS an exceptional grizzly bear, who just happens to have me for a pet.

Brutus came into the world as any grizzly cub would, but it was clear from day one that this bear was special. I was twenty-six years old, and I had been working with animals professionally in some respect for about eight years and was now a curator at a drive-through wildlife park in Idaho. Brutus was born in a small man-made cave we had constructed of concrete and steel to give the cubs the feel of being born into a real cave. Our replication wasnt perfect, but it sheltered the tiny newborns from the brutal eastern Idaho winter weather. Brutus clung close to his mother for warmth and nourishment, and acknowledged the clues of the mysterious world that awaited him. Along with the howls of the January winds, he could also hear the rumble of a Chevy engine, and the muffled voices of his futurehumans. Most grizzly bear cubs would learn to fear these sounds, but Brutus was developing what would become a curious love affair and affinity with them, since his mother, who had been in captivity her entire life, perked up to our presence and did not react in fear.

One cold, clear February day, Brutuss life changed in an instant. If cubs are not removed at a very young age, they cannot be handled, and come early spring, male bears will kill them in order to mate with the female. Female bears defend their cubs fiercely, even if they are used to humans, so to prevent our being mauled by a defensive mother, we would immobilize her to remove the cubs. He was pinned beneath the weight of his tranquilized 400-pound mother. As he squirmed, he was suddenly freed as I rolled his mom to the side with a labored heave, and I scooped up what was going to become my son into my arms and sheltered him from the crisp winter air. He let out a little cry, and like a new father I held him closer and looked into his little brown eyes with paternal pride but also with the newfound fear that all new parents have of the unknown days that are to come.

His first moments of the new world were bittersweet. I tried to imagine the overwhelming rush that must have flooded his senses. He seemed to be uncomfortable and scared for the first time, but then he nestled his head into mine and found a new calmness. So the bond of trust was born. He sheltered his little wet nose in the bristly hairs of my goatee. It wasnt Moms soft, silver-tipped fur, but the coarse brown hair must have felt good. Little did he know at that point that he would be greatly responsible for turning my brown hair silver-tipped, too. My warm and loving arms would soon be etched with little bloody grizzly bear scratches and painted with mustard-colored cub diarrhea. But those battles were to come. Meanwhile, the connection that would form between two species that usually are segregated by fear would be life-changing. Brutus never had the opportunity to become prejudiced against humans, a behavior that is learned, not instinctual. In fact, in a staggering way, his heartstrings were tugged in the opposite direction.