FILE - In this July 27, 1998, file photo, television personality Jim Fowler ducks to avoid being battered by a peregrine falcon on a tether at the National Bison Range near Missoula, Mont. Fowler, a naturalist who rose to fame on the long-running television show "Wild Kingdom" died peacefully surrounded by family on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, at his home in Norwalk, Conn. He was 89.
Image Credit: Michael Gallacher/The Missoulian via AP
May 10, 2019 - 2:44 PM
NORWALK, Conn. - Jim Fowler, a naturalist who rose to fame on the long-running television show "Wild Kingdom," has died. He was 89.
Jennifer Whitney is a spokeswoman for Mutual of Omaha, which sponsored the show.
She says Fowler died peacefully Wednesday at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut, surrounded by family.
The show debuted in 1963. Fowler began as an assistant and later took over from Marlin Perkins as host.
He also made appearances with exotic animals on talk shows, including "The Tonight Show."
His educational talks often also served as a foil for the humour of Johnny Carson.
Whitney says Fowler will be remembered as a "wildlife icon" who lent his expertise to nature parks and wildlife centres and inspired the next generation of naturalists.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019