Life is a zoo for these three families — who house bears in their homes.
A new documentary, “There’s a Polar Bear in My Pool,” profiles three families who co-exist with the massive mammals.
The Welde family with a bear at Bearadise Ranch.Laurentiu Garofeanu / BarcroftJohnny Welde has 13 bears at his Florida home — some of which weigh nearly 900 pounds — training them to do tricks.
“In the wild, bears can be dangerous animals, but the relationship we have with them is built up over years of living with them, 365 days a year,” his wife Monica told Barcroft Media, who produced the 24-minute flick.
“We live and breathe these animals, we love them and they are a part of us,” she said.
Mark Dumas lives with a full-sized polar bear, who swims and sleeps with the British Columbia native’s home.
Agee, the adorable white bear, is so close with Dumas that the two can wrestle and hug without him fearing for his life.
Bruiser, a five-month-old Syrian brown bear surfs in a pool with owner Carl Bovard.Laurentiu Garofeanu / Barcroft“If anyone else tried this, they would end up as Agee’s dinner,” Dumas joked, as he slipped his neck inside the bear’s mouth while she pretended to chomp down for a bite.
“I have worked with bears in this way for over 40 years so I can read Agee’s body language and know how to behave safely around her,” he said.
“But Agee is the boss and it’s her rules that count.”
The final family featured in the documentary is Carl Bovard, who is currently teaching two baby bears to swim and surf at his Florida home.
