Jim Fowler, 'Wild Kingdom' Star, Dead at 89

Zoologist Jim Fowler, the host of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, died Wednesday at age 89.

Fowler's death was announced by a Wild Kingdom tribute site. His family told The Hollywood Reporter he died at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Fowler is best known for hosting Wild Kingdom from 1963 to 1988. He earned four Emmy awards during his run on the show.

When Wild Kingdom started in January 1963, Fowler co-hosted with Marlin Perkins. After Perkins retirement in 1985, he continued hosting solo for another three years. Fowler also took part in the 2002 revival.

The Albany, Georgia native also served as a wildlife correspondent for NBC's The Today Show and frequently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He was also the wildlife expert for Discovery's Animal Planet and hosted his own show there, Jim Fowler's Life in the Wild.

Fowler grew up on a farm and could have chosen a career in Major League Baseball, but instead earned a degree in zoology and geology from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana. After graduation, he became an authority on predatory birds and soon found himself showing off a harpy eagle on Today Show. Perkins saw the spot and picked him to join Wild Kingdom, a nationally syndicated series.

In a 2015 interview with Connecticut Magazine, Fowler criticized the way animals are portrayed on television today.

"Today's media has done a pretty good job of trying to make animals extremely dangerous, and I worry about that," he explained. "I know the reality of a situation, what's threatening and what isn't. I worked with animals well before I was on Wild Kingdom, and I learned that if you're gonna fool around with them, you better know what the danger points are."

Fowler continued, "For example, a big anaconda down in the Amazon, you gotta know that it'll wrap you tail-first. You don't want to hold the head and leave the tail out there, because if it gets you with the tail around your neck or waist, one that weighs 200-some pounds, you're done for. When you work with a snake that's as big around as an ale keg, you better know what you're doing."

Aside from Wild Kingdom, Fowler gained notoriety for his work with Carson. He would appear on the Tonight Show to show off animals, and understood he was just the supporting act. Fowler became so associated with Carson that he made a guest spot in a famous Seinfeld episode where Kramer (Michael Richards) hosted a talk show host in his apartment.

Fowler is survived by his wife and two children. His family asks that donations be made to the Chehaw park in Albany, Georgia.

Photo credit: Bob Riha Jr/Getty Images