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Brutus the grizzly bear spent his first months in a six-feet-square steel box. He was rescued by Casey Anderson, a naturalist and filmmaker who, inspired by his plight, opened the Montana Grizzly Encounter Rescue and Educational Sanctuary. Brutus appeared on television with Anderson. He also featured in films, commercials and was even best man at Anderson’s wedding. This interview was first broadcast in 2018.

Private Wojtek of the 22nd Artillery Transport Division of the Polish Armed Forces was a Syrian brown bear who helped his fellow soldiers by carrying artillery shells at the Second World War Battle of Monte Cassino. Like his comrades, he enjoyed beer and cigarettes, although instead of smoking the latter, he ate them. After demobilisation, Wojtek went to Edinburgh Zoo, where he spent the rest of his life, often visited by former Polish soldiers. Wojciech Narebski who was one of the soldiers who fought alongside him, told us the story in 2018.

Joel Berger dedicated ten years of his life to studying musk oxen – hairy Arctic relatives of the goat. With global warming affecting their habitat, musk oxen increasingly came into contact with roaming polar bears. Joel wanted to investigate the effect of the bears on musk oxen behaviour – and with no polar bear to call on – he improvised. He grabbed a polar bear costume and headed north. This interview was first broadcast in 2019.

Hercules the bear was bought by Scottish couple Maggie and Andy Robin after they were told he could be euthanised at a local wildlife park. In 2015, Maggie told us how he lived with them in the 1970s and 80s at their home in Perthshire. Our attitudes towards keeping wild animals have changed a lot since then, but at the time, Hercules, a half tonne Grizzly, was something of a celebrity, starring in films and TV shows all over the world.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Hetal Bapodra

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(Photo: A transparent 60-minute cassette tape spooled halfway through and lying on a white background. It bears a slim white label with the words ‘THE OUTLOOK MIXTAPE’ written in black. Credit: Getty Images)