Wild Kingdom

By Bret Fetzer

Before Animal Planet, before The Crocodile Hunter, there was Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Longtime host Marlin Perkins may seem a bit square now--compared to the more rambunctious, media-savvy likes of Steve Irwin--but despite his stiff posture, his sincere and infectious delight at the animal world came through.

The African Wild collects ten episodes, all focused on gorillas, elephants, giraffes, hippopotami, lions, cheetah, and other fauna of Africa. Among the standout scenes are Dian Fossey (author of Gorillas in the Mist) reuniting after a three year absence with the mountain gorilla family she'd spent 10 years befriending; Perkins and co-host Jim Fowler using a road grader to cull a hippo from its herd; and several impressive encounters with elephants, which look like they could crush a jeep like a toy. The editing and staid dialogue may feel old-fashioned (these episodes are from the 1970s and '80s), but the wildlife footage remains as beautiful as ever.

There are other Wild Kingdom DVDs available: Danger, Mammal, and Wild Cats.

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Check out our Wild Kingdom forum! Do you have a favorite episode of the show? What do you remember about the series? Do you have any questions about it or its stars? Now you can post comments and questions directly to our TV forums! Click here to see what other Wild Kingdom viewers have said or to post your own comments about the show!

		Your Memories Shared!

"Wild Kingdom" was the best kid friendly animal show ever. As a kid growing up in the Super70s I have very fond memories of this show. It was educational and fun (which is no doubt why our parents let us stay up past bedtime to watch). I would love to purchase the complete set of shows for my 3 and a half year old son. --Brian

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