KET's Kentucky Life To Feature Story On Western Kentucky Armadillos

The award-winning show will explore the growing armadillo population in the region.

Mar. 20, 2026 at 5:15pm

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Kentucky Educational Television's (KET) award-winning show Kentucky Life will premiere its spring season this Saturday with a feature on western Kentucky and its armadillo invasion. The show's host, Chip Polston, says the team has spent around 10-11 months working on this story and has spent a lot of time in the region observing the armadillos.

Why it matters

Armadillos have been spotted in western Kentucky for at least the last 15 years, but in the last year or so, they've been seen almost to Louisville and in Lexington, including on the University of Kentucky's campus and near Rupp Arena. This growing armadillo population is a noteworthy development in the region.

The details

During his exploration of General Butler State Park, Polston was able to see armadillos first-hand, follow them around, and learn all sorts of facts about them, like how they can jump six feet in the air and are amazing swimmers. One of the theories as to how they made it from Texas up to the Commonwealth is through swimming. Interestingly, armadillos have no natural predators in Kentucky.

  • Kentucky Life's spring season will premiere on Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 7 p.m. Central Time.
  • The show will run for the next nine Saturdays.

The players

Chip Polston

The host of Kentucky Life, KET's award-winning show.

Kentucky Life

An award-winning show on Kentucky Educational Television (KET) that explores various topics related to the state.

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What they’re saying

“Armadillos have been spotted in western Kentucky for at least the last 15 years, but in the last year or so, they've been seen almost to Louisville and in Lexington, including on the University of Kentucky's campus and near Rupp Arena.”

— Chip Polston, Host, Kentucky Life

“Most TV news stories run around 1.5-2 minutes long, so it's difficult to go in-depth about any given topic. On Kentucky Life, each story featured in one 30-minute episode is around seven minutes long, which allows me and my team to really take our time.”

— Chip Polston, Host, Kentucky Life

What’s next

The theme for Kentucky Life's 31st season is celebrating America's 250th birthday.

The takeaway

Kentucky Life's in-depth exploration of the growing armadillo population in western Kentucky provides a unique look at the changing wildlife in the region, highlighting the show's ability to delve deeper into local stories compared to typical TV news coverage.