Ernie Brown Jr.: The Real Reason Call Of The Wildman Was Canceled (& Where The Turtleman Is Now)

Summary Call of the Wildman was canceled due to animal welfare controversies and licensing issues, including evidence of staged scenes.

Ernie Brown Jr., or Turtleman, was found to have mishandled baby raccoons and captured a deer potentially illegally during the show.

Despite the cancellation, Brown continues to make live appearances and is active on his own YouTube channel, showcasing animal wrangling videos.

Ernie Brown Jr., or the "Turtleman", as he was known, was the star of Animal Planet's Call of the Wild, but the show was unceremoniously canceled, leaving the Turtleman in the lurch. Between the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the History Channel, Animal Planet reality shows get a bit forgotten, but the animal-focused network has produced some notable series over its history. Call of the Wildman premiered in October 2011 and lasted for four seasons before the show was canceled in 2014 after a number of controversies came to light.

The series starred Ernie Brown Jr., a Kentucky woodsman and expert animal wrangler. Turtleman, called that because of his particular affinity for snapping turtles, operated an animal removal business near his home in Lebanon, Kentucky, working in tandem with his friend, Neal James, and James' dog, Lolly. It's not exactly a nuanced nature documentary, but Brown has an affinity for the animals he captures, and he was pretty talented as an exterminator and engaging as a host. Unfortunately, the events surrounding the show's cancellation paint Turtleman in a different light.

Related Netflix's Tiger King: 10 Riveting Documentaries About Animal Welfare Issues To Watch Next Viewers were addicted to Netflix's Tiger King, about big cats and their owners. We recommend watching these documentaries about animal welfare.

Call Of The Wildman Was Likely Canceled Due To Animal Welfare Controversies & Licensing Issues

Many Scenes In Call Of The Wildman Were Staged

Close

In 2014, evidence began to pile up that suggested Call of the Wildman was not as real as it claimed and animals were being abused on the show. In an investigation by Mother Jones, it was uncovered that some scenes were staged, causing harm to the animals. In one episode, Brown finds a mother raccoon in a house and rescues her and her babies. However, Mother Jones discovered the raccoons had previously been rescued and were placed in the house for Brown to re-catch. The mother raccoon turned out to be male according to vet reports.

One production source told Mother Jones,

"It was part of my job to call around people to trap animals at the direction of Sharp [Call of the Wildman's production company]. It’s 100 percent fake."

The mishandling of the baby raccoons led to an undue amount of stress and when they were sent to the vets, they were found to be severely emaciated. Mother Jones found plenty of other problematic instances. One saw the producers transporting a wallaby across state lines, potentially illegally. In another, it appears that a bat transported to a salon for a scene died. A zebra Brown had to subdue was said to be in a drug-induced stupor, done for the scene.

Animal Planet claimed ignorance or that everything they did was legal and have never claimed the show ended because of the many controversies.

One incident found Brown capturing a white-tailed deer, a species that the Nuisance Wildlife Control Officer (NWCO) specifically prohibits from being captured. A year later, Brown had his NWCO license revoked. Animal Planet claimed ignorance or that everything they did was legal and have never officially said they ended the show because of the many controversies.

Ernie "The Turtleman" Brown Jr. Continues To Make Live Appearances

Brown Was Injured Badly In March 2022

After Call of the Wildman, Brown continued appearing on camera on his own YouTube channel, Turtleman Official Channel. The web series mostly follows Brown's attempts to search for the Bigfoot, though there are plenty of his usual animal wrangling videos on the channel as well. He had to take a break from the channel, however, after a tree fell on him, leaving him unconscious. He has since recovered and actively posts on Facebook about meet and greets he's attending as well as showcasing videos of himself hunting for turtles, just like he always has.