Just this January, legendary actress Betty White just turned 99.

She currently holds a record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the Longest TV Career for a Female Entertainer. But in the unofficial records, she’s one of the most beloved celebrities until now.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLSXVN2nVmF/

White was born on January 17, 1922.

She worked as an assistant on a local TV station before she got her first gig on the other side of the camera with “Life with Elizabeth”.

Her career would take her to various comedy shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show where she took the role of the man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1FdpzHH1_b/

But she is much better known as the ditsy Rose Nyland on The Golden Girls. She didn’t stop there. At 88, she joined the cast of Hot in Cleveland as Elka Ostrovsky and became the oldest person to host the famous comedy show Saturday Night Live.

With her positive influence on people and society, she was considered to be one of the most beloved artists in America.

While her contributions on camera cannot be disputed, what she does off camera is much more impressive.

Betty White joined other artists in wildlife advocacy, especially with animals.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwUx6lin7Rm/

She shared in an interview with the Smithsonian Magazine:

“Both my mother and father were tremendous animal lovers. They imbued in me the fact that, to me, there isn’t an animal on the planet that I don’t find fascinating and want to learn more about.”

Her aspect as an actress and an animal lover mixed in with her professional work. In 1971, she created, produced, and hosted Pet Set. She also wrote a book called Betty and Friends: My Life at the Zoo and hosted shows like Hero Dog Awards, Big Cat Week, and Betty White Goes Wild.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLpV9nLnh5L/

There was even a time in her career when she declined a role because it involved an unfair treatment of an animal.

She mentioned that one of her greatest motivations to keep on acting was so she can continue to provide for animal charities.

In her documentary Betty White: First Lady of Television, this love for animals took on a whole new level when she interacted with a grizzly bear five maybe five times her size.

In the clip, you can see her sitting beside the animal.

She admitted that it was one of the scariest moments of her life.

However, it seemed like the bear knew who she was and what she stood for. The bear acted such a darling beside America’s Sweetheart.

Anyone would’ve walked away from this interaction but not Miss Betty White.

She even fed the bear and kept on fondly saying, “Is that good?” over and over.

Then, to show everyone how much she cares and loves animals, White does the unthinkable.

She leaned closer to the giant furball and gave it a sweet kiss just beside its ear.

This moment stands as a testament that White can connect with both people and animals.

She considers herself as one of the luckiest people alive because half of her life is dedicated to a craft she loves, and the other half is committed to animals.

She might be 99 now but we sure hope she lives more years so she can continue making an impact in conserving wildlife.

Watch the video below!

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: YouTube – People Are Wholesome, Smithsonian Magazine, Biography, NBC, People, Forbes, Instagram – @bettymwhite