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

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom

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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  www.wildkingdom.com  8d5eeaf0-9a82-11f1-bf8d-43bb59733871

Recent Episodes

OCT 15, 2026
The Wolf America Almost Lost with Bailey Cadena
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! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildkingdomtv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildkingdomtv/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildkingdomtv #Podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom
25 MIN
OCT 1, 2026
Saving the Rarest Beetle in America with Jeff Ewelt
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. @JefftheNatureGuy explains 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! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildkingdomtv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildkingdomtv/ #Podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom
25 MIN
SEP 17, 2026
Philippe Cousteau on Why Coral Reefs Are Disappearing and How to Rebuild Them
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! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildkingdomtv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildkingdomtv/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildkingdomtv #podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom
26 MIN
SEP 3, 2026
From Near Extinction to 5 Million: The American Alligator's Comeback with Coyote Peterson
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! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildkingdomtv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildkingdomtv/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildkingdomtv #Podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom
33 MIN
AUG 20, 2026
The People Who Refused to Let Grizzly Bears Disappear with Wes Larson
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! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildkingdomtv Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildkingdomtv/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildkingdomtv #Podcast #BackFromTheBrink #WildKingdom #grizzlybears
28 MIN