Tom Fink
Staff Reporter
CLAREMORE —
While most people may expect to see the African savanna or the Australian Outback when they turn on Animal Planet, this season, a more familiar venue will be gracing screens across America — Foyil, Oklahoma.
Earlier this week, Discovery Network announced plans for an upcoming series to be set in northeastern Oklahoma and which features the exploits of wildlife recovery expert, Ned Bruha, aka “The Skunk Whisperer.”
Bruha, whose Oklahoma-based operations espouses humane wildlife recovery and management, is called upon when wild animals find themselves stuck in people’s homes, attics, or similar trappings to gently free the animal and release them back into their natural habitat.
“Basically, we offer comprehensive wildlife control — with an emphasis on being humane to the animal,” Bruha said. “This includes ‘nuisance’ critter removal, eviction, exclusion, wild animal prevention, and even structural damage and attic repair without needlessly injuring or killing the wildlife.”
Oftentimes, Bruha relies upon fellow wildlife conservationist Annette King Tucker, who owns and manages Wild Heart Ranch to take in some of the animals he recovers.
“Annette and I have known one another four about four years — I’m her biggest fan,” Bruha said. “She’s such a stellar person — one of the most selfless you’ll ever meet, who will literally give the shirt off her back to wrap an injured or dying animal. It’s always an honor to work with her and her team at Wild Heart Ranch.”
Tucker said she’s “beyond thrilled” for Bruha and to know that his adventures will soon be shown to a national audience.
“We are SO excited for Ned,” Tucker said. “My family and I, my Board of directors and crew have been anxiously waiting for when we could talk about this. Ned’s my good friend and a personal hero. I couldn’t be happier for him — and us, as it will be showcasing what he does and what we do (at Wild Heart Ranch) to Animal Planet audiences.”
Tucker said only a year ago, she and Bruha had a long conversation about “saving the planet’s wildlife” and teaching people about how to respect the needs of nature and wildlife — opportunities, she said, which are now available to them both, courtesy of Animal Planet.
“This (program) will help Ned and I to teach people how to respect the needs and nature of wildlife and how to humanely manage encounters without harm or death,” she said. “People consider Ned and I both ‘bunny huggers’ in the most literal sense, because we’ve dedicated our lives and careers to doing the right thing by nature. But we feel showing others respect and understanding for these animals makes the world a better place for all of us.”
Rogers County residents may recall Bruha was called upon in recent years to humanely remove a colony of bats which had invaded and taken up residence in the planning commission building on south Missouri in Claremore.
“Showing others respect and understanding for these animals makes the world a better place for all of us — this is a philosophy that both Ned and I share,” she said.
Producers of the show have assured Bruha and Tucker that they will film, but in no means interfere with, how he and she perform their respective tasks of rescue, recovery, rehabilitation, and release.
Although principal filming on the series has begun in Tulsa and Rogers County, neither Bruha or Tucker know when the first episode will be telecast.
In the meantime, both will continue what drew the attention of the Discovery Network in the first place — wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
“We are so pleased that we’re going to get my message — of humane, no-trap, no-kill, non-traditional wildlife message — out to a national audience,” Bruha said. “If people who watch ‘The Skunk Whisperer’ get nothing else from the program, I hope they realize there are other options than killing the odd squirrel, bat or other critter they find in their shed or attic.”
For more information on Bruha or his wildlife rescue business, visit www.totalwildlifecontrol.com. For more information on Wild Heart Ranch, visit www.wildheartranch.org.
Skunk Whisperer Philosophy
* Comprehensive, humane wildlife control solutions that work, including nuisance critter removal, eviction, exclusion, wild animal problem prevention without needlessly killing wildlife.
• To help with unwanted nuisance wildlife on urban, rural, suburban, residential or commercial property, including helping humanely control or get rid of skunks, squirrels, raccoons, rock chucks, chipmunks, ground hogs, opossums, gophers, moles, rats, geese, snakes, even mountain lions and bears.
