With their diverse animal population and lush greenery, rainforests are a nature enthusiast’s haven and the perfect habitat for species coming soon to Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild. Get a glimpse into new episodes featuring three unique rainforest dwellers.
Central American animals featured on Protecting the Wild
Panamanian golden frogs
¡Bienvenidos a Panamá! Dr. Rae traveled to Central America for Protecting the Wild’s first international expedition to visit a variety of species in the Gamboa rainforest, including Panamanian golden frogs.
Despite its name, the golden frog is actually a toad. Dr. Rae visited a sanctuary for this incredible species that is considered extinct in the wild due to a fatal pathogen decimating its population. The sanctuary’s goal is to breed golden frogs in captivity in hopes to eventually reintroduce them to the wild.
Harpy eagles
While visiting Panama, Dr. Rae also got to meet “Panama,” a harpy eagle in Summit Municipal Park, a wildlife rehabilitation facility.
“Reveling in her beauty was captivating, and learning about the sheer power of harpy eagles was incredible,” Dr. Rae said.
Harpy eagles are the national bird of Panama and seen on the country’s coat of arms. Their return to the Central American country also has a Wild Kingdom tie. Original series Co-Host Jim Fowler and Ron Magill of Zoo Miami were greatly involved in the restoration of harpy eagles in Panama.
Peter traveled to Florida to learn more about the harpy eagle’s story. First, he went to Natural Encounters in Orlando, a breeding and education facility dedicated to the preservation of endangered and threatened birds. There he met the first even harpy eagle born at Zoo Miami.
“This magnificent 15-pound bird sat comfortably on my glove with his 5-inch talons wrapped around my wrist and his huge eyes looking directly into mine. I could not help but reflect on how Jim Fowler had experienced this very same connection with one of our world’s largest raptors,” Peter said.
The next day he went to Zoo Miami where he heard firsthand how Jim and Wild Kingdom improved the harpy eagle’s wild future.
“Once again, I am proud to continue sharing information about the importance of the protection of this amazing species and its habitat in South America,” Peter said. “After all, the harpy eagle is indeed one of nature’s true wonders of the wild.”
Sloths
Capping off Wild Kingdom’s time in Panama was a visit to a sloth rescue center. There, Dr. Rae saw how injured or orphaned two-toed and three-toed sloths are brought in for rehabilitation and released back to the Gamboa rainforest.
“All in all, the people of Panama are strong supporters of wildlife and ecosystem conservation, are incredibly generous with sharing their local knowledge and ecology expertise and are heroes in environmental protection,” Dr. Rae said.
Our sloth story continued stateside with Peter’s visit to the San Antonio Zoo to see two-toed sloths. He enjoyed visiting with these slow-moving creatures and learning about their important role in their ecosystem.
“What many people are not aware of is that the sloth’s hair is a living breathing home to many different organisms from microbe insects to fungi and algae,” Peter said.
Tune in to Protecting the Wild, Saturdays on NBC’s “The More You Know” programming block to see these Central American species in action. Check your local listings for air times.
