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NORWALK, Conn. (AP) – Jim Fowler, a naturalist who made his name on the long-running "Wild Kingdom" television program and made famous with Johnny Carson in "The Tonight Show" is died. He was 89 years old.
Fowler died peacefully Wednesday at her home in Norwalk, Connecticut, surrounded by family members, said Jennifer Whitney, spokeswoman for Mutual of Omaha, who sponsored the show.
"Jim was one in a million, and with her passing, we lost a real wildlife icon," she said in an email. "His memory will be engraved as part of the work he has done on the Mutual of Omaha 's Wild Kingdom, as well as in the many parks, wildlife centers and nature reserves to which he has lent his expertise. But perhaps his most important legacy will be the role he has played in inspiring the next generation of naturalists and wildlife experts. "
"Wild Kingdom" debuted in 1963. Fowler started as an assistant and then became co-host with Marlin Perkins before taking over as a facilitator.
Fowler had his arm swallowed by an anaconda and was loaded by a gorilla and other creatures.
He was a college athlete and turned down offers from the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees to pursue his wildlife career, according to a biography posted on the Wild Kingdom website.
He had a special interest in eagle training and became an internationally recognized authority on predatory birds.
He has also made appearances with exotic animals in talk shows, including "The Tonight Show", where his educational talks have often served as a medium for Johnny Carson's humor.
In 1993, the Associated Press asked him why he was known for his reputation as one of the most fearsome beasts in the world while Perkins watched them and told them. Perkins died in 1986 at the age of 81.
"Johnny Carson started this and I can not shake the image," Fowler said. "That's not true, you know. Marlin was with me on almost everything.
He met Perkins on the "Today" show in 1961 and became his sidekick.
Fowler was also present as a host when the last episode of the original "Wild Kingdom" – "Tigers of Ranthambhorn" – was shot in 1991. The show was featured on Animal Planet in 2002.
Fowler's survivors include his wife, animal artist Betsey Fowler; two children; and two grandchildren.
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