A polar bear playing with a yellow ball in an outdoor enclosure at what appears to be a zoo or wildlife sanctuary. The scene is set outdoors, likely during spring or summer with greenery and clear daylight. 4:11
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Bear soccer with a goalie who hugs the ball

Jim would like Amy to learn to play goalie. Amy, a 370-pound Syrian brown bear, would much rather hug the ball. more

Amy lives at the Orphaned Wildlife Center in Otisville, New York, a sanctuary for orphaned Kodiak and Syrian brown bears. A couple, Jim and Susan, run it with help from Kerry Klair, who left a Wall Street job to work with the bears. Jim doesn't keep his distance. He sits right down in the grass with them and kisses them on the head.

A man sitting on grass near a fence leans down to kiss a large bear on the top of her head. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Jim sits in the grass and kisses one of the bears on the head.

His soccer students are Amy and Jenny, both Syrian brown bears. Amy weighs about 370 pounds. Jenny comes in at about 330, which is still a lot of bear to coach.

Not every minute is soccer. The two bears stretch out on the grass by the chain-link fence, and Jim bends down to give them both a good pat.

A man bends over two large brown bears lying on the grass beside a chain-link fence and pets them. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
The two bears stretch out by the fence while Jim pets them.

Then it's time for the lesson. Jim has a yellow ball and a plan. He'll coach, and Amy will play goalie. He sends the ball her way and waits for the block.

There's no block. Amy grabs the ball and hugs it tight to her chest. Jim nudges her and tries again, and she hugs it again.

A polar bear playing with a yellow ball in an outdoor enclosure at what appears to be a zoo or wildlife sanctuary. The scene is set outdoors, likely during spring or summer with greenery and clear daylight. The headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Jim would like Amy to learn to play goalie.

Jim keeps at it, round after round, and Amy keeps her prize. One fan pointed out that all she has to do now is roll it back. Another would happily see her in goal for England anyway.

Jenny gets in on the game too. She works hard to get hold of the ball, and Jim gives her full credit. "A lot of effort went into that, didn't it, Jennifer?" He walks over and gives her a big bear hug, too.

A man crouches near a bear and a yellow ball in a grassy enclosure with trees around it. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Jim keeps the game going with a bear and the yellow ball in the grassy yard.

And then there is the sound. Jenny, sitting near the camera, lets out a low, rumbling purr. Fans took it for a far-off lawnmower or a sputtering engine, and one had no idea bears could purr at all. "Hi, Amy," Jim says near the end. "Everybody's doing good today."