Are you a fan of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild?
Check out these behind-the-scenes stories from Co-Hosts Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and Peter Gros to get the inside scoop on which species will be featured soon on the show!
Spring 2025 Protecting the Wild animal filming
Gray whales
You’ve probably heard of birds migrating south for the winter. But did you know gray whales do the same? Every year, these whales make a 10,000-mile round trip from Alaska to Baja California Sur, Mexico, to birth their young. Peter and Dr. Rae traveled to the San Ignacio Lagoon in Mexico to see the whales up close.
“Seeing baby whales was our goal and it was met on day one!” Dr. Rae said. “These whales do not face predation threats in this lagoon and because of that and also the strict regulations on whale watching boats, the whales are often comfortable coming right up to the boats and even getting a little head rub. Peter and I got our first touches of gray whales — mother and baby — and were astonished by how soft their tough-looking skin was.”
The co-hosts then migrated slightly north to the Channel Islands off the California coast to spot the whales once again.
“We saw spouts of three whales about 200 yards from the bow of our zodiac,” Peter said. “As they came closer, we were elated to realize it was a humpback and two gray whales socializing together. This was an incredibly unique experience, and we were able to document this rare wild scene of animal behavior.”
Avalanche ski and trek training
A big part of being a wildlife TV co-host is making sure you’re up to date on specialized nature and animal training. In his quest to see wolverines in the wild, Peter needed to head to the Cascade Mountains’ backcountry, which required additional mountain training to know what to do in case of an avalanche.
In training, Peter wore a transmitter and receiver and learned how to use these tools in case he was buried in snow from an avalanche. He learned that should he be covered in snow, he needed to use a swimming motion to work his way to the surface. If that doesn’t work, he would put his arm over his head to create an air pocket and lay there until a rescue team would arrive.
“Oh, and above all stay calm. This part seemed a bit questionable I thought,” Peter said, jokingly.
After training, Peter went up the mountain to check camera traps for any wolverine activity.
“Other wildlife had stopped by to snack on the bait, but no wolverines were to be seen,” Peter said. “Once again proving just how elusive these mustelids truly are.”
California condors
To learn more about one of the most incredible wildlife conservation success stories, Dr. Rae headed to San Diego Zoo Safari Park. There, she met with the California condor team to see these amazing birds up close.
“I not only got to spend time viewing the adult condors in their habitat, but I also got to spend time looking at some of the condor eggs that were being incubated and were ready to hatch at any moment,” Dr. Rae said. “Being invited to hold the egg of a species that had been so incredibly close to extinction was amazing.”
The baby condors will likely be returned to the wild, so their interactions with humans are limited. They’re even fed by a puppet that looks like a mother condor.
“It was an immersive and meaningful experience and once again demonstrated how the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a great place to go as a guest but also has so much more conservation work going on behind the scenes,” Dr. Rae said.
Alligators
Peter and Dr. Rae traveled to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia to meet up with biologists from the University of Georgia’s Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant program to study alligators.
“Arriving to this location felt like going back in time, which was an accurate feeling because, ever since the swampy landscape became a protected area in the 1930s, it’s remained relatively unchanged and incredibly wild,” Dr. Rae said. “As a federally protected area, it’s open for all kinds of visitors, and the alligators are everywhere — all different sizes and kinds — which means you have to practice lots of caution when recreating in the refuge.”
The co-hosts watched as the team attached satellite trackers to the alligators which will help them learn about alligator movements and habitat selection. Peter noted how the trip was a bit familiar.
“It reminded me of my very first Wild Kingdom show with Jim Fowler in 1985,” Peter said. “This time instead of catching an alligator with a loop on a pole in the middle of the night and pulling it into a small aluminum boat, we participated in catching an alligator wearing a satellite device with a barbless hook and pole and pulled it on to the shore where we examined it.”
Though the techniques have changed in the past 40 years, the amazing animal experiences continue for Wild Kingdom co-hosts.
“The capture of this 600-pound, 11-foot-long alligator was thrilling to say the least,” Peter said. “As always, the best part was watching America’s largest reptile disappear back into the swampy waters of the Okefenokee.”
