In a video that's both nerve-wracking and beautiful, Mark Dumas swims with an 800-pound polar bear like it's nothing out of the ordinary.
The experienced animal trainer has been working with Agee the polar bear since she was a cub. According to video released by Barcroft Media, the bear grew up in Dumas' household, where she was bottle-fed and even played with the family's pets.
In the clip, Dumas hugs and kisses the bear like an oversized toy as they continually wrestle on land and in the water.
It's important to point out that exotic animals can be potentially dangerous and shouldn't be kept as pets.
But while some may gawk at Dumas' bold actions in disbelief, the trainer says experience has taught him how to interact with the animal.
"I have worked with bears for 40 years, so I can read Agee’s body language and know how to behave safely," Dumas told the Sun in 2011.
Dumas and his wife, Dawn, own "Beyond Just Bears," a company that trains animals for scenes in movies, television shows and advertisements. The pair have a combined 50 years experience working with animals on set.
Agee, which is touted as the only trained polar bear in North America, has starred in various commercials and even had a role in the movie "Alaska."
According to the company's website, "Beyond Just Bears" has worked with a variety of wild animals, including cougars, wolves and deer.
Nevertheless, the use of animals in the entertainment industry has come under scrutiny after multiple reported incidents of alleged animal abuse and deaths on movie and television sets.
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