In "The Bond of Love" by Kenneth Anderson, the author tells the story of how he accidentally came to acquire a pet sloth bear named Bruno for his wife. While passing through a sugarcane field near Mysore, the author and his companions witnessed a mother sloth bear get shot, only to realize that a baby sloth bear had been riding on her back and was now orphaned. The author managed to catch the baby bear and brought it back to his wife, who was delighted and named him Bruno.
Bruno quickly became part of the family, developing a strong bond with the author's two Alsatian dogs and the children of the tenants living in their bungalow. He ate anything and everything, including porridge made from a variety of ingredients, vegetables, fruit, nuts, meat (especially pork), curry and rice, bread, eggs, chocolates, sweets, pudding, and ice cream. He also drank all sorts of liquids, including milk, tea, coffee, lime juice, aerated water, buttermilk, beer, and alcoholic liquor.
However, Bruno's life was not without challenges. He accidentally consumed the poison that the author had put down to kill rats and mice, which paralyzed him. The author rushed him to a vet, who administered an antidote, and Bruno made a full recovery. Bruno also drank nearly one gallon of old engine oil, which had no ill effects on him.
As Bruno grew larger, the author and his son advised the wife to give him to the zoo in Mysore, as he was getting too big to keep at home. Eventually, she agreed, and Bruno was donated to the zoo.
Overall, "The Bond of Love" is a heartwarming story about the strong bond that can develop between humans and animals and the love and care that can transcend species boundaries.
