Back From the Brink, from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom

Spotted hyenas aren't on the brink of extinction, but they’re one of the most hated animals on the planet, and that may be the bigger problem. In this episode of Back From The Brink from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant sits down with Dr. Christine Wilkinson, carnivore ecologist, co-chair of the IUCN Hyena Specialist Group, and founder of the Humans and Hyenas Alliance, to separate the real hyena from the movie villain. Christine explains why hyenas are apex predators and ecosystem cleaners, what that famous "laugh" actually means, and why the clans are led by females. She also lays out why hyenas are persecuted across their range, and why a species that looks fine on paper still deserves a closer look before it's too late.

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Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild airs weekends on NBC's "The More You Know" programming block. Co-Hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant share conservation success stories happening all around us. They take us to wild places as we meet incredible species and the amazing people working to save them. Check your local listings for the airtime in your area. For more information on Protecting the Wild including how to stream full episodes for free, check here: [LINK]

Media courtesy of Christine Wilkinson, Kathryn Combes, Christine Chepkisich, as part of work funded by National Geographic Society.

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By the 1970s, only seven Mexican gray wolves remained in the wild — and the species had vanished from the United States entirely.

On this episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom The Podcast, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant sits down with Bailey Cadena, AZA's co-vice program lead for the SAFE Mexican Wolf Program at the @cincinnatizoo. Together they trace the wolf's recovery from a single enclosure founded by Wild Kingdom's original host, Marlin Perkins, to a population now standing at 319 in the U.S. and 25+ in Mexico.

Bailey explains the science of cross-fostering: placing zoo-born pups into wild dens before their eyes even open. She also covers the wolf's role as a keystone species reshaping entire ecosystems. And she shares why recovery depends just as much on ranchers and communities living alongside wolves as it does on the animals themselves.

Subscribe for more wildlife stories.

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild airs weekends on NBC's "The More You Know" programming block. Co-Hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant share conservation success stories happening all around us. They take us to wild places as we meet incredible species and the amazing people working to save them. Check your local listings for the airtime in your area. For more information on Protecting the Wild including how to stream full episodes for free, check here: https://wildkingdom.co/4zsGfoN

Check us out on our other platforms for more animal facts, wildlife conservation success stories, original series nostalgia and more!

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#Podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom

The endangered Salt Creek tiger beetle lives in just one place on Earth: the saline wetlands north of Lincoln, Nebraska. By the early 2000s, only 150 known adults remained. On this episode, Dr. Rae sits down with Jeff Ewelt, chief zoological officer at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. @JefftheNatureGuyexplains the beetle's bizarre two-year life cycle spent almost entirely underground, the coalition of zoos, universities and government agencies now working to bring it back, and why saving even the smallest, strangest species matters just as much as saving the charismatic ones. Listen in to discover how Nebraska's one-of-a-kind beetle is getting a second chance.

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild airs weekends on NBC's "The More You Know" programming block. Co-Hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant share conservation success stories happening all around us. They take us to wild places as we meet incredible species and the amazing people working to save them. Check your local listings for the airtime in your area. For more information on Protecting the Wild including how to stream full episodes for free, check here: https://wildkingdom.co/4hwBfsc

Check us out on our other platforms for more animal facts, wildlife conservation success stories, original series nostalgia and more!

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Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor but support 25% of all marine life, and since the 1950s, we've lost half of them.

In this episode, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant sits down with Philippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques Cousteau and founder of EarthEcho International, to unpack why reef collapse has stayed the "most underreported environmental crisis on the planet." Philippe explains the science of coral bleaching, the technology that can grow coral 20 times faster than nature. That's why he now treats reefs not as ecosystems to protect but as infrastructure to rebuild, at a scale philanthropy alone can never fund. It's a hard look at how close we are to losing reefs entirely, and a genuinely hopeful blueprint for turning that around.

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild airs weekends on NBC's "The More You Know" programming block. Co-hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant share conservation success stories happening all around us. They take us to wild places as we meet incredible species and the amazing people working to save them. Check your local listings for the airtime in your area. For more information on Protecting the Wild including how to stream full episodes for free, check here: https://wildkingdom.co/4cPq9wS

Check us out on our other platforms for more animal facts, wildlife conservation success stories, original series nostalgia and more!

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#podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom

By 1967, the American alligator — a reptile whose lineage predates the dinosaurs — had been hunted, skinned and pushed to the edge of extinction. Twenty years later it was thriving again, making a full recovery under the Endangered Species Act.

In this episode, Dr. Rae sits down with Coyote Peterson, wildlife educator and creator of Brave Wilderness, whose alligator content alone has racked up over 100 million views. Together they explain why these "ecosystem engineers" are critical to the health of southeastern wetlands. And they dig into the modern threats that still put the species at risk, from invasive Burmese pythons to human habituation. It's a story about how fast a species can come back, and how easily that progress can be undone.

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild airs weekends on NBC's "The More You Know" programming block. Co-Hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant share conservation success stories happening all around us and take us to wild places as we meet incredible species and the amazing people working to save them. Check your local listings for the airtime in your area. For more information on Protecting the Wild including how to stream full episodes for free, check here: https://wildkingdom.co/4i7hxoQ

Check us out on our other platforms for more animal facts, wildlife conservation success stories, original series nostalgia and more!

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#Podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom

At their lowest point, fewer than 1,000 grizzly bears remained in the lower 48 states — pushed out of 98% of their historic range by bounties, poison, and fear. In this episode of Back From The Brink from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant sits down with wildlife biologist and Tooth and Claw podcast co-host Wes Larson to tell the full story of how grizzlies came back — from the garbage dump bears of Yellowstone to the ranchers opening their land, to the corridors slowly reconnecting a species to its home.

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom is back with the series, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild! Airing weekends on NBC's "The More You Know" programming block, Co-Hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant share conservation success stories happening all around us. They take us to wild places as we meet incredible species and the amazing people working to save them. Check your local listings for the airtime in your area. For more information on Protecting the Wild including how to stream full episodes for free, check here: https://wildkingdom.co/4bZjQ9t

Credits:

• Sponsor: Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
• Host: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant
• Narrator: Peter Gros
• Executive Producers: Jen Wulf, Jenny VanSoelen
• Production: Lower Street Media

Check us out on our other platforms for more animal facts, wildlife conservation success stories, original series nostalgia and more!
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#Podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom #grizzlybears

Each spring, North America comes alive with a familiar and magical sound — the dawn chorus of songbirds returning home after journeys spanning thousands of miles. But behind that beauty lies a stark reality: nearly three billion birds have vanished since 1970. In this episode of Back From The Brink from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is joined by Kirstin Hill of Smithsonian Bird Friendly to explore a hopeful solution taking root in an unexpected place — coffee farms. Discover how shade-grown coffee is creating vital habitat, helping bird populations rebound, and restoring one of nature's most iconic soundtracks.

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom is back with the series, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild! Airing weekends on NBC's "The More You Know" programming block, Co-Hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant share conservation success stories happening all around us. They take us to wild places as we meet incredible species and the amazing people working to save them. Check your local listings for the airtime in your area.

For more information on Protecting the Wild including how to stream full episodes for free, check here: https://wildkingdom.co/4fBbcQO

Check us out on our other platforms for more animal facts, wildlife conservation success stories, original series nostalgia and more!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildkingdomtv
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildkingdomtv/

Credits:
• Sponsor: Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom
• Host: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant
• Narrator: Peter Gros
• Executive Producers: Jen Wulf, Jenny VanSoelen
• Podcast Production: Lower Street Media

#Podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom

In the 1970s, the Green Sea Turtle was vanishing. Poaching, egg harvesting, and habitat loss had crashed global numbers by 67%, landing one of the ocean's most treasured wild animals on the endangered species list. Extinction had become a genuine possibility.

In our very first episode of Back From the Brink, Dr. Rae sits down with wildlife biologist and TV host Jeff Corwin to unpack their incredible comeback. Over thirty years working with sea turtles around the world, Jeff has watched a critically endangered species he once feared we'd lose become, against all odds, an environmental conservation success. It's a surprising story — told by one of television's most passionate conservationists.

Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom is back with the series, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild! Airing weekends on NBC’s “The More You Know” programming block, Co-Hosts Peter Gros and Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant share conservation success stories happening all around us. They take us to wild places as we meet incredible species and the amazing people working to save them. Check your local listings for the airtime in your area. For more information on Protecting the Wild including how to stream full episodes for free, check here: https://wildkingdom.co/4fw6G4E

Check us out on our other platforms for more animal facts, wildlife conservation success stories, original series nostalgia and more!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildkingdomtv
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#Podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom

What does it take to save a species on the edge?

From the iconic television show, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, comes Back From the Brink, a podcast celebrating the most remarkable comeback stories in the natural world. We meet endangered species that were nearly lost –– some down to their last dozen or hundred –– and learn how they found their way back. Each episode goes deep on a single species and the scientists, conservationists, and unexpected heroes at the forefront of environmental conservation who fought to save them.

About the Hosts:

As a wildlife ecologist, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant has expertise in uncovering how human activity influences carnivore behavior and ecology. Dr. Wynn-Grant is a recipient of the prestigious Gracie Award, which focuses on women who are making positive change and who further the discussion of what a fulfilling career in media looks like. Honored for her work on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, Dr. Wynn-Grant continues to inspire with her passion for wildlife conservation and storytelling.

Peter Gros is a veteran wildlife expert and educator. As the co-host of the Emmy® nominated series, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, and narrator of the Back from the Brink podcast, Gros shares conservation success stories and brings a message of hope to motivate audiences to take action in protecting wildlife and their habitats. Gros joined the original Wild Kingdom team in 1985, co-hosting alongside Jim Fowler on the classic series and Mutual of Omaha’s Spirit of Adventure.He has nearly 30 years of field experience with captive wildlife, establishing breeding programs for endangered animals and rehabilitation programs for birds of prey. As a USDA licensed exhibition exhibitor and animal educator, Gros has shared his experiences across the U.S. through the Wild Kingdom Kids Summit, talk show appearances and lectures. He also serves on the board of directors of the Suisun Marsh Natural History Association and is a trustee for the Cheetah Conservation Fund.

About Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom:

Since its network television premiere in 1963, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom has been one of the most loved and respected wildlife programs in television history. The Daytime Emmy® nominated Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, now airing weekends on NBC’s “The More You Know” time block, celebrates stories of conservation success, including the great work of caring, compassionate experts and how they are making a positive impact on the Wild Kingdom. For more information about Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, visit http://www.wildkingdom.com/

Conversations of squeaks, whistles and buzzes are an important way that beluga whales communicate in the dark depths of the ocean. In this episode, Dr. Kristin Westdal of Oceans North chats about her groundbreaking research of beluga behaviors and how noise pollution in the water can impact these beautiful mammals. She shares some unforgettable moments of up-close encounters with belugas while kayaking in the frigid waters near Churchill, Manitoba. Bonus Track: Sunny Nelson from Lincoln Park Zoo shares her journey researching the beautiful, and nearly extinct, Bali Myna, a rare bird found only in Bali, Indonesia.

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As climate change rapidly melts Arctic sea ice, polar bears could face near extinction by the end of the century. But thanks to the work of dedicated conservationists, there’s hope. In this episode, Nikki Smith, curator at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, shares her mission to help save polar bears in the wild and secure the future of this incredible species. She discusses the many challenges they face, from rising temperatures disrupting their breeding and growth to surviving in extreme freezing conditions and how the zoo’s breeding program is essential for the survival of this species. Bonus Track: Jennica King at Sedgwick County Zoo shares how the zoo’s efforts gave two orphaned bears a second chance—not just to survive, but to thrive.

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Bison may no longer be on the brink of extinction, but their journey is far from over. With dwindling genetic diversity and the absence of natural selection, these prairie ecosystem engineers are not as wild as they once were. In this episode, Dr. Daniel Kinka, director of rewilding at American Prairie, shares the story of bison—from their near extinction due to westward expansion to their return to the plains. We also learn why bison rewilding is essential to restoring biodiversity and ensuring the prairie thrives for generations to come. Bonus Track: Jen Osburn Eliot at Oregon Zoo shares how they’re helping Northwestern pond turtles grow strong in a program that raises and releases them back into the wild.

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The Bahamas stands as the only nation in the world to establish a shark sanctuary encompassing its entire marine environment. In this episode, we speak with Bahamian biologist and passionate shark advocate, Candace Fields, on why sharks are the true guardians of our oceans, highlighting their essential role in maintaining the vibrant underwater landscapes of coral reefs. She discusses how we can change the common misconceptions about sharks in the media, helping people learn to admire, not fear, these ocean superheroes. Bonus Track: Dr. Rory Telemeco of the Fresno Chaffee Zoo shares how collaborative conservation efforts are restoring the Blunt-nosed leopard lizard to the landscape to preserve this nearly extinct species.

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For seven years, North American zoos saw no coati births, leaving their population shrouded in uncertainty. But at Brevard Zoo in Florida, a groundbreaking milestone changed everything — welcoming the first coati litter in nearly a decade. Lauren Hinson, director of animal programs and coati studbook keeper, takes us behind the scenes of this incredible journey. From the challenges of understanding this species to the joy of seeing new life thrive, she reveals what it took to make this conservation success story a reality, and why it matters now more than ever. Bonus Track: Lisa Faust of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo introduces us to the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot, a remarkable bird that is on the brink of a comeback!

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Whale sharks face a constant threat from hunting, with thousands killed each year for their fins. In this episode, Kelly Link, a biologist at the Georgia Aquarium, recounts her up close and personal adventures with these filter feeders, including an incredible 33-hour-mission to bring two whale sharks to safety in Atlanta. She dives into the urgent need for whale shark conservation as their global population continues to decline and many of their behaviors in the wild remain a mystery. Bonus Track: From bears to frogs, countless animals are at risk due to habitat loss. Learn how Darren Minier and Isabella Linares of the Oakland Zoo are stepping up to rescue and protect wildlife in need.

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Ever wondered why some people and animals form such strong bonds? Or why these connections are so vital to our well-being? In this episode, we continue with more stories from the AZA conference, speaking with Dr. Kathayoon Khalil, a conservation psychologist with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, about the powerful role of empathy in human-animal connections. We also dive into the world of tarantulas with Wildlife & Environmental Educator Sarah Bowser to explore fascinating facts about these misunderstood creatures and the threats they face in the wild. Thom Demas from the Tennessee Aquarium wraps up the episode with a deep dive into the underwater world of a little-known fish that shows how stream health impacts us all – wildlife and humans.

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Every year, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) hosts its annual conference, bringing together zoo and aquarium professionals dedicated to wildlife conservation. In this episode, we hear stories from the conference. First, Ben Jones, vice president of conservation and education at the Houston Zoo, shares his mission to protect endangered mountain gorillas. Then, Dr. Chase LaDue, National Geographic Explorer, conservation scientist at the Oklahoma City Zoo and executive director of the Sri Lanka Elephant Project, discusses fostering coexistence between humans and elephants. Their stories reveal the critical importance of protecting the wild—and why it matters for all of us who share this planet.

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Fewer than 100 ocelots remain in the United States, making these rare wild cats incredibly difficult to study and protect. Filmmaker and Wildlife Biologist Ben Masters discusses the importance of documenting endangered species, and how his work has led him to capture rare footage of these elusive cats. He uncovers the many challenges ocelots face, from habitat loss to the struggle for visibility in conservation efforts, and why it's crucial to continue fighting for their survival. Bonus Track: Kristin Ulvestad from the Reid Park Zoo explains the important ecological role of songbirds and how the unique call of the Lucy’s warblers is a sure sign of spring.

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With fewer than 360 North Atlantic right whales remaining in the wild, these incredible marine giants are critically endangered. In this episode, Orla O'Brien, a marine biologist with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium, discusses this urgent wildlife crisis and the challenges facing this species. O’Brien explains why right whales are often overlooked — an "out of sight, out of mind" issue — and how innovative technology plays a crucial role in protecting them, offering hope for their future. Bonus Track: Jeff Baughman of the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo talks about a much smaller animal, but still one of North America’s most endangered amphibians – the Wyoming toad.

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Every year, boat strikes injure and kill tens of thousands of manatees. In this episode, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and Peter Gros explore the challenges these gentle mammals face in the wild and the ongoing efforts to protect them. Guest expert Dr. Claire Erlacher-Reid, senior staff veterinarian at SeaWorld Rescue, who specializes in marine mammal rehabilitation and rescue, discusses the threats manatees face, the critical work being done to help them; and the wonderful experience of rehabilitating and releasing these magnificent animals back into the wild. Bonus Track: Learn how a group of real-life mermaids are helping educate the public about the benefits of shark and ray conservation.

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