Sir David Attenborough is going to be 99 this May but he still working and actively participating in events and seminars all over the world.
Known by his distinctive voice, he first entered the BBC in 1952, initially working behind the scenes as a producer. But when zoologist Jack Lester, the Zoo Quest’s original host, fell ill, Attenborough stepped in front of the camera, which gave start to a legendary career that has lasted nearly seven decades. Zoo Quest was filmed in Sierra Leone, and featured Sir David meeting villagers and astonishing them by playing back recordings on his tape recorder.
By the second series, he was in the thick of the action, braving the Bornean heat with a bottle of water in hand and venturing deep into the jungle in search of rare wildlife. The success of Zoo Quest made the naturalist a household name and paved the way for his role as controller of BBC Two, where he introduced colour television.
In 1979, he launched the 13-part series Life on Earth, the first of many landmark productions, including The Living Planet, The Life of Birds, and Blue Planet. And decades after his broadcasting debut, the famous conservationist is showing no signs of slowing down.
Diplomatic Herald talked to Sir David about his accomplishments, fears and hopes.
DIPLOMATIC HERALD – It is inevitable to talk about your age. You will be 100 in 2026, have you ever dreamt of getting this far?
DAVID ATTENBOROUGH – My age has been an issue for decades already. When I turned 70, I started answering questions about it. It’s when I started to be referred to as a legend as well. So, the matter of age is not a problem for me in itself, but the long time I have been made constantly aware of the fact that the number of years I have reached makes me a candidate to the next In Memoriam section of the news. Like most people who are in good health at a late age, I don’t really feel my age. Unless I am feeling some kind of pain, which is rare, I don’t feel much different than, say, when I was 50 or 60. Not a youngster, but certainly not a senior citizen.
DH – The director of your most recent production – Asia – said in an interview that you climb hills and jump water streams like a kid…
DA – I don’t think about my limits, but of course, I am not a jumpy cat, I move much slower these days, but the adrenaline of work numbs any potential pains.
DH – And do you have any recipe for that healthy longevity?
DA – Actually no. I have become sort of an almost vegetarian lately, but that is fairly recent and could not have been a decisive factor in my longevity.
DH – What do you mean by “almost” vegetarian?
DA – I do eat cheese and fish, but I’ve become much more vegetarian over the past few years than I thought I would ever be. I haven’t had red meat for a couple of years already. It was not something planned; I just started to feel less attracted to meat.
DH – What about exercises, do you go to the gym?
DA – No, I don’t but I am active, I walk around a lot. I am very active around the garden as well. I feel that there is no formula for living a long life. Obviously, one needs to take good care of one’s health but mostly I think it is a genetic matter more than a consequence of our diets or physical activities that defines our longevity. But even though I feel physically fit, what scares me the most is the possibility of losing my brain faculties. I only fear not being able to use my mind at its full.
DH – Your brother Richard also lived a long life. Were you mixed up with him too often, considering you were both public personas?
DA – Oh, yes, invariably even nowadays I do meet people all the time who think they are talking to Richard. Often people think we are the same person. I get congratulated not only for my documentaries but also for the movies my brother made.
DH – You dedicated your life to spreading the globe knowledge about our planet, unveiling its mysteries and magic for us in decades and decades of productions that have educated us all. Nonetheless, we are seeing the most serious signs of climate change and its destructive consequences.
DA – Which only shows how limited we are in our ability to bring good sense to the minds of the powerful and their followers. We are clearly seeing the consequences of our disregard for the planet but too many of us are still in denial about it. Even though I do get frustrated with the state of things regarding the protection of our environment, I am still optimistic that science and technology may make up for the lack of responsibility in personal behavior and political action.
I am hoping that new solutions to protect us from climate change and to revert or compensate for the damage we have been doing will emerge. When I started my career almost 70 years ago, I don’t think there was anybody who thought that there was a danger that we might annihilate part of the natural world.
DH – You are very well known for your documentaries about nature but you have contributed to TV also in other areas, creating all kinds of programmes, including the revolutionary Open Door, which was a pioneer in the early 1970s in showing the lives of trans people and ethnic minorities. How difficult was it to convince the BBC to touch these controversial subjects?
DA – Open Door indeed broke barriers and spent years dealing with subjects that made many people uncomfortable. In remember that in my five-page proposal for the show, I told the BBC board that these programmes would not be about the lunatics or fringe groups, nor that they would become a series of vociferous radical manifestos. The idea was simply to show in an honest way the lives of those who were not the main actors in our society: vegans, anarchists, feminists, anti-feminists, anti-racists, anti-immigrants, transsexuals, sci-fi UFO enthusiasts, just to mention a few. Every single bit of organised, crusading, campaigning passion had a chance to be on air. A lot of the issues are still with us today. They were not trivial.
DH – You can definitely say that you left an imprint on humankind. Actually, also in the animal kingdom, not only for delving into it but also for naming an echidna…
DA – Oh, yes, that’s true, there is a very rare and almost extinct echidna type that was named after me. Echidnas are part of a group of animals called monotremes, which is the only group of mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live offspring. They are often seen as porcupines. These spiny critters are notoriously difficult to find since they’re nocturnal and tend to be shy. They also roll up into a ball when they feel threatened and usually only come out to mate once a year, in the summer. For a couple of decades none had been seen, so it became believed the David Attenborough echidnas had been extinct, until very recently one has been spotted and photographed.
DH – After conquering the natural world, you are now also part of the digital world in a seminal way: your voice has been created using AI. Why is it you got nervous about it?
DA – I have to say I was totally shocked to hear of my voice being impersonated. Having spent a lifetime time trying to speak what I believe to be the truth, I am profoundly disturbed to find that these days my identity is being stolen by others and greatly object to them using it to say what they wish. I was appalled to realize that my voice and thus my credibility could be used for political purposes that are the exact opposite of my own political tendencies. It made me very sad to realize that we will soon not be able to tell what is real anymore.
I understand the wonders artificial intelligence can bring us and I look forward to a world that uses it wisely but like with every new invention, the wolves and the creeps also find uses for it. It is the principle of yin and yang that we seem to find everywhere.
DH – Who will prevail, yin or yang? Are you hopeful that we will survive as a species?
DA – I am not too sure we will be able to win this war against serious and datedness. The planet is crumbling right in front of our eyes and so many of us are still in denial. There is no other issue that is more important than to try to find ways to avoid the enormous catastrophe that we are bringing upon our children.
They won’t be able to have safe lives if we don’t act urgently. We are already very late. Whole parts of Africa are likely to be unliveable – people will simply have to move away because of the advancing deserts and increasing heat, and where will they go? Well, a lot of them will try to get into Europe. And we know that already at this era we are seeing big problems being caused by migration to Europe and the United States.
DH – What are your plans for the future?
DA – All I know is that if I get up tomorrow and I feel that I’m able to do a decent day’s work, then I shall jolly well do it and be grateful.
Desmond Morris on David Attenborough
In the pantheon of naturalists, Sir David Attenborough’s name shines brightly. His life’s work has explored, documented, and shared the wonders of the natural world with insatiable curiosity and unparalleled storytelling. As a fellow zoologist, I am in awe of his achievements, passion, and enduring legacy.
Born in 1926 in Isleworth, Middlesex, Attenborough grew up in a family that valued education and curiosity. His father, Frederick, was a scholar, and his mother, Mary, a founding member of the Marriage Guidance Council. As a boy, David collected fossils and natural specimens, laying the foundation for his lifelong commitment to understanding and preserving biodiversity.
The BBC Years
Attenborough joined the BBC in 1952, a time when television was in its infancy. His early work on Zoo Quest (1954–1963) showcased his zoological knowledge and ability to connect with audiences.
The Landmark Series
Attenborough’s career is defined by landmark documentaries like Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), and Planet Earth (2006).
The Attenborough Effect
In recent years, Attenborough has become a powerful advocate for conservation. Documentaries like Climate Change: The Facts (2019) and A Life on Our Planet (2020) highlight the impact of human activity on the environment, inspiring millions to take action—a phenomenon known as the “Attenborough Effect.”
His work has transformed how we see the world and inspired us to protect it. As a fellow zoologist and human being, I am deeply grateful for his contributions. His legacy will endure for generations.
By Desmond Morris
Who is Desmond Morris?
Desmond Morris and David Attenborough are two distinguished British figures known for their contributions to the natural world. Born in the 1920s—Morris in 1928 and Attenborough in 1926—they belong to a generation that saw significant changes in science and media. While Attenborough became a renowned broadcaster and natural historian, Morris pursued zoology, ethology, and writing.
Morris is best known for The Naked Ape (1967), which examined human behavior from a zoological perspective. His analysis of human instincts, mating, and social structures was groundbreaking, making scientific ideas accessible to the public—similar to how Attenborough’s documentaries popularized wildlife study.
