River Monsters is a British and American wildlife documentary television program produced by Icon Films of Bristol, the UK for Animal Planet. It is hosted by extreme angler and biologist Jeremy Wade, who travels the world in search of the most terrifying freshwater and saltwater killers, looking for clues, eyewitnesses, and stories about people who have been dragged underwater by these vicious predators. He tries to capture the largest specimens before releasing them back into the wild. His goal is to educate people about the truth behind the animals’ attacks on humans to save these endangered species from extinction. But what is the reason behind the show’s cancellation?
The Animal Planet reality series “River Monsters” was canceled after star Jeremy Wade caught virtually every exceptionally large freshwater fish species on the planet, leaving no content for the show.
Who is Jeremy Wade?
Jeremy John Wade is a British television presenter, angling author, freshwater detective, and biologist. He is best known for his TV shows River Monsters, Mighty Rivers, and Dark Waters.
Wade was born in Ipswich on March 23, 1956, and raised in Nayland, where his father was a vicar. He graduated from Dean Close School and holds a zoology degree from Bristol University as well as a postgraduate teaching certificate in biological sciences from the University of Kent.
In Kent, he worked as a secondary school biology teacher. Wade has caught malaria, been threatened with a gun, and survived a plane crash during his travels abroad. He is fluent in Portuguese, which he learned while fishing in Brazil for many years, and he also speaks French and Spanish.
(Source: River Monsters Fandom)
What Sparked Jeremy Wade’s Interest in Catching the River Monsters?
Wade developed a lifelong enthusiasm for what began as a boyhood pleasure. He began fishing the local waters of his rural English village after learning from a buddy. Wade took a three-month trip to India, the first of his foreign fishing trips, once the sport grew too popular.
Wade yearned to explore more isolated regions for fish after his journey to India, which led to a life of basic living and odd occupations until he’d accumulated just enough money for his next trip, according to Singular City. Wade was nearly killed by malaria after a terrible journey to the Congo, but he returned to the isolated African country on several occasions. He eventually started writing for fishing magazines to supplement his income, but his sole aim in life seemed to be to travel, find, and fish.
It is possible to become addicted to such a lifestyle. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable to the forces of nature and anything else that may be present.
Jeremy Wade, British Television Presenter
(Source: Looper)
Jeremy Wade’s Favorite River Monster
Wade frequently mentions the Goliath Tigerfish, a type of giant piranha found exclusively in the Congo and capable of weighing over 100 pounds. He went to the African bush three times over six years—this was before River Monsters—before catching a medium-size one, but that wouldn’t do for a guy who’s used to having his portrait taken with enormous nightmare fish.
Despite Wade’s admission that going there is exceedingly taxing and potentially dangerous, the show went to the Congo in the second season, where they hooked a 78-pounder, which Wade characterized as the big one I had been pursuing for 25 years. (Source: Looper)