Legendary Turtleman Is On the Hunt to Save Critters, Rodents and Aggressive Snapping Turtles Beginning November 6
Turtleman
(New York, NY, October 6, 2011) – Another southern animal rescuer? If you think you’ve seen them all, nobody compares to the bare-handed trappin’ approach of Animal Planet’s bluegrass hero “Turtleman.” For the past four decades, Ernie Brown Jr. – aka Turtleman – has been diving into Kentucky’s murkiest ponds in search of an animal capable of biting through bone. Accompanied by his canine companion, Lolly, and armed with backwoods wits as sharp as the steel blade he carries, aptly named “Thunder,” Turtleman has the uncanny ability to catch monster snapping turtles with his bare hands and return them into the wild unscathed. Now, in Animal Planet’s new 12-part, half-hour series, he’ll go toe-to-claw saving Kentucky’s deadliest and feistiest animals in CALL OF THE WILDMAN, premiering on Sunday, November 6, at 10 pm (ET/PT).
As long as anyone can remember, if there’s a critter problem in Kentucky, Turtleman comes to the rescue. Over the years, Ernie has handled just about every species of wild animal those woods have to offer – including raccoons, skunks, snakes, poisonous spiders and possums. An animal lover, native Kentuckian and local celebrity (partly due to a viral YouTube video that has received over 3.4 million views since 2008), he’s earned a living as an animal rescuer for the past 15 years. With a “trademark” celebratory yell following each successful capture, Turtleman safely reintroduces frisky critters to nature using his self-taught trapping style.
“There’s a lot of backwoods people in Kentucky, but nobody any more backwoods than the Turtleman,” says Neal James, Turtleman’s right-hand man whose long-distance phone service qualifies him as Ernie’s secretary. “When Ernie’s trying to save an animal, it’s for the animal’s own good, but most of the time, it creates a situation that’s mano-a-mano.”
Turtleman lives an unbelievable bluegrass lifestyle deep in the Kentucky wilderness without running water and an outhouse for a bathroom. Each week, Neal takes calls from dozens of businesses and home owners stuck with unwanted and potentially deadly pests. No job is too tough or dangerous for Turtleman, and his years of bonding with wild animals allow him to use his animal instincts to save them:
- A farmer’s cows mysteriously are being attacked when cooling off in the stock pond, emerging with missing udders. All signs lead to a group of snapping turtles, and Ernie is happy to jump on the case. The catch – the stock pond is overflowing with cow manure and bacteria. Will Turtleman show no fear, find the hungry turtles and restore peace to the farm?
- A call from an elderly woman reporting a potentially poisonous snake in her house sends Turtleman on a dangerous hunt. Turtleman must corner and remove the slimy foe with his bare hands, but is he fast enough to capture it without getting bitten?
- A rabid raccoon overruns a local business and isn’t too happy when Ernie shows up. When backed into a small utility closet, Ernie must wrestle the furry creature with all his might while avoiding its sharp teeth and nails. One bite can send Turtleman to the hospital and put him out of business.
CALL OF THE WILDMAN is produced by Sharp Entertainment for Animal Planet. Matt Sharp is the executive producer for Sharp Entertainment. Dawn Sinsel is executive producer for Animal Planet.
