For Dan Haggerty, playing the title character in The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams wasn’t just a role he accepted for some cash grab. The actor deeply respected the character, which was based on a real figure, as well as the concept of the series.

Haggerty viewed Adams as a role model, someone to model himself after.

“It’s a simple show,” Haggerty said during an interview with The Tampa Tribune. “Adams is sort of a St. Francis of Assisi with his bears and wildlife. Though he avoids killing, he teaches hunters the right way to kill for food, and keeps clear of man because of the bounty on his head.”

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Of course, Haggerty shared more than a few qualities with the television character. Notably, the two men had a deep love and respect for animals.

During an interview, Haggerty revealed that after he married his wife, he was able to make one of his wilder dreams a reality.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Haggerty bought a young lion cub as a pet for himself and his new wife. “Why did I want a lion?” said the actor. “They’re pretty. Very majestic. And they live in large groups, like people, so they adapt to a family. Not like tigers, which are roguish and independent.”

Despite his wild pet preference, Haggerty continued to work with animals on a daily basis, both as an actor and an animal trainer. “With movie animals, it’s different every day,” said Haggery. “You have to sit down, make it all pleasurable and fun. I always work with an animal - each one is different - before I do a scene, to make it feel comfortable and at ease.”