Entertainment

‘Central Park Karen’ birdwatcher Christian Cooper lands new TV series

Christian Cooper — the black man and avid bird-watcher at the center of the 2020 “Central Park Karen” fiasco — has scored a TV gig at National Geographic.

Cooper, 59, will host a series for the nature channel called “Extraordinary Birder.”

The lifelong bird enthusiast will take viewers “into the wild, wonderful and unpredictable world of birds,” according to National Geographic.

The channel has yet to announce a release date.

“Whether braving stormy seas in Alaska for puffins, trekking into rainforests in Puerto Rico for parrots, or scaling a bridge in Manhattan for a peregrine falcon, he does whatever it takes to learn about these extraordinary feathered creatures and show us the remarkable world in the sky above,” the network said in a statement.

Cooper, a Harvard University graduate, has been an avid warbler-watcher since he was 10. He recently shared with the New York Times that he “was all in” when he was asked to host the upcoming show.

Life-long birder Christian Cooper takes us into the wild, wonderful and unpredictable world of birds. Whether braving stormy seas in Alaska for puffins, trekking into rainforests in Puerto Rico for parrots, or scaling a bridge in Manhattan for a peregrine falcon, he does whatever it takes to learn about these extraordinary feathered creatures and show us the remarkable world in the sky above.  Christian Cooper takes a moment to watch the distant shorebird activity at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, CA.   (photo credit:  National Geographic/Jon Kroll)
National Geographic will soon be releasing “Extraordinary Birder,” hosted by Christian Cooper. Twitter

Six episodes have already been filmed and produced. “I love spreading the gospel of birding,” he told the publication.

The Long Island native also noted that he anticipates that the show will allow others to “stop and watch and listen and really start appreciating the absolutely spectacular creatures that we have among us.”

In 2020, a dog-walker named Amy Cooper (no relation) called the cops on Christian Cooper in Central Park while he was birdwatching, claiming he was “threatening” her.

A video of the incident went viral at the time, showing Cooper telling the woman that it was unlawful to leave her cocker spaniel unleashed in the park.

This image made from Monday, May 25, 2020, video provided by Christian Cooper shows Amy Cooper with her dog talking to Christian Cooper at Central Park in New York. Amy Cooper, the white woman who called 911 on Black birdwatcher Christian Cooper in New York's Central Park, is suing her former employer for firing her over the incident. (Christian Cooper via AP, File)
A viral clip of Amy Cooper in Central Park went viral in 2020. AP

The altercation concluded with Amy telling the National Audubon Society member that she was calling the cops “to tell them there’s an African-American man threatening my life.”

Amy was later charged with filing a false police report as well as a misdemeanor with a penalty of a year in jail.

In February 2021, the charges against her were dismissed after she completed therapy courses.

Almost a year after the incident, Amy sued her ex-employer for “racial discrimination” and said she’s “terrified” to walk her dog after the incident.