“Brutus has been a huge part of my life. He’s sort of like, well he actually was, my best man.”

Nicknamed the “animal magnet” as a kid, Casey Anderson grew up in Montana surrounded by wilderness and animals. After college, he became an animal keeper and trainer at wildlife parks, traveling to elephant orphanages in Kenya, hanging out with crocodiles, and even getting thrashed by a mountain lion.

Then baby Brutus came into his life. Brutus was born in an overpopulated wildlife park. Casey rescued him from being euthanized and built a new sanctuary just for Brutus. A natural performer, Brutus was comfortable around people, making him a perfect assistant to teach park visitors about grizzly anatomy and conservation — and starring in educational videos and even feature films and television shows.

Today, Brutus is a 7-year-old in his prime and continues to be Casey’s best pal. “Brutus has been a huge part of my life. He’s sort of like, well he actually was, my best man.”

Together they have worked on feature films, television shows and commercials. When they are not on set they spend their days at Montana Grizzly Encounter in Bozeman, Montana, a bear rescue and education facility that Casey founded in 2004. Whether they are educating the public on grizzly conservation, wrestling in the grass, or on a location, this tandem loves what they do.

Born and raised in East Helena, Montana, Casey is a fifth-generation Montanan and has been involved in film and television production for more than 15 years. A wildlife naturalist, Casey has worked on several wildlife documentaries. He recently led two expeditions to Botswana’s Okavango Delta for the HD wildlife series Untamed and, working with Brutus, shed light on the fate of Yellowstone’s vulnerable “Island” population of grizzlies in Expedition Grizzly for National Geographic Channel in April 2009. For the new network Nat Geo WILD launching Monday, March 29, 2010, Casey and Brutus will be featured in the series Expedition Wild. Casey’s acting resume includes the television series Wild Wacky World and the feature film Iron Ridge. He has also made appearances on numerous news and entertainment shows including GMA, Nightline and Inside Edition.

Casey is married to actress Missi Pyle, and the two split their time between Montana and Los Angeles.

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