During a rehearsal of Zoo Parade, he was bitten by a timber rattlesnake, one of several bites from venomous snakes Perkins suffered throughout his career (over the years he was also bitten by a cottonmouth and a Gaboon viper). Although the incident occurred during a pre-show rehearsal and was not filmed, it has become something of an urban legend, with many people "remembering" seeing Perkins receive the bite on television (an example of what is known as a "false memory"). As a result of his work on Zoo Parade, Perkins was offered the job in 1963 for which most North Americans remember him: host of the nature show Wild Kingdom. The fame he gained in his television career allowed him to become an advocate for the protection of endangered species, and through Wild Kingdom he gave many Americans their first exposure to the conservation movement. Perkins also helped establish the Wild Canid Survival and Research Center (WCSRC) near St. Louis in 1971. This wolf sanctuary has been instrumental in breeding wolves for eventual re-placement into their natural habitats. Perkins retired from active zookeeping in 1970 and from Wild Kingdom in 1985 for health reasons. Perkins remained with the Saint Louis Zoo as Director Emeritus until his death on June 14, 1986, of cancer. Honors Perkins received an American Education Award in 1974. He was also granted honorary doctoral degrees from the then University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri; Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin; Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri; MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois; and the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1990, Perkins was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. A statue of Perkins also stands in Central Park in his hometown of Carthage, Missouri. Personal life Perkins married his first wife, Elise More, in 1933; they were divorced in 1953. Their daughter, Suzanne, was born in 1937. Perkins married his second wife, Carol Morse Cotsworth, in 1960; they remained married until his death. Perkins died on June 14, 1986, from lymphatic cancer. Publications Listed chronologically References Further reading Marlin Perkins at the Saint Louis Zoo Marlin Perkins at the Saint Louis Walk of Fame “Zoo Man,” 1994-12-04, The Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection at the University of Georgia, American Archive of Public Broadcasting External links 1905 births 1986 deaths 20th-century American zoologists Reptile attack victims Deaths from cancer in Missouri