Call of the Wildman

Action, Adventure, Family, How To, Do It Yourself, Pets, Talent, Wildlife

TMDB 7.5 / 10 by 2 votes

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. 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. 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.