Though Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom feels like a television institution today, it took more than a few tries to bring the series from a dream to a reality.

Wild Kingdom was responsible for educating countless audiences about animals from all corners of the world. During an interview with the Omaha World-Herald, Jim Fowler, zoologist and co-host of the series, admitted that the show’s beginnings were certainly a wild ride. “It took a year to get the pilot filmed and sponsored,” said Fowler. “It was crazy.”

However, the effort was well worth it. Fowler’s show provided an educational program mixed with just the right amount of entertainment that kept audiences tuning in. “We can say we were one of the first reality shows,” said Fowler. “It was real.”

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Such a sentiment isn’t commonly seen today, where plenty of television shows are more than willing to stage action in order to keep viewers enthralled. Not only is such a practice insulting to an audience, but Fowler argued that it also perpetuated lies regarding the very creatures he was attempting to protect.

“TV shows about animals attacking people make us think that it’s not important for there to be alligators and other such creatures,” said Fowler during an interview with Newsday. “I’ve been all around the world and I think there’s maybe three animals left on this planet that still have human beings for lunch without being provoked - some sharks, polar bears, and saltwater crocodiles. The challenge today is to make people care about wildlife and the outdoors. It’s important to keep open space for animals and wildlife and keep the wilderness intact. We need more than concrete space in zoos.”