67-year-old Marc Dumas is probably the only person in the world who can swim with a polar bear. The fearless bear tamer from Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada often swims with his pet polar bear Agee.
Agee is a 23-year-old polar bear who is friends not only with Mark but also with his wife, Dawn. Bear loves to play with Mark, kissing and hugging him.
The couple trains the 362-pound Agee for filming in big-budget films and commercials. In 1995, she starred in the movie Alaska when she was only a few weeks old.
“Agee has lived with me all her life,” says Mark. – She is always there. I will be with her for the rest of her life or the rest of mine. It just so happened. She is 23 years old. In captivity, they live about 30 to 35 years.”
Mark says that it was not only the lack of fear of polar bears that helped him raise Agee, but also the friendship that has developed between them over the years.
Of course, in his youth, Agee had to wean from the habit of biting.
Mark has been training bears for over 40 years, so he has studied their habits well. He can read Agee’s postures and facial expressions and knows when she is unhappy with something.
“Of all the people in the world, she only recognizes my wife and me,” he says. “Agee is our leader, and we are subordinate.”
Here’s what their friendship looks like in the video:
Would you like a tame polar bear?
