When it comes to natural
history heroes, they don't come more iconic than David Attenborough.
His autobiography, 'Life on Air' should probably be required reading
in schools, giving such an insight as it does into his lifelong passion for
animals, plants, wild nature in all its glory, and the culture of
indigeneous populations from all over the world.
Attenborough's background
in BBC programming provides fascinating insight into the beginnings
of that institution. When he started out in 1952, his position in the
Talks Department involved organising any non-fiction programming.
Attenborough recounts the story of trying to get hold of a particular
Irish traveller-woman - who was a famous fiddler - for a series on folk
music. He is told that the only way to get hold of her, as she had no
fixed address, was to send a telegram to Garda stations all along the
west coast, leaving the message that the next time she was picked up
for being drunk and disorderly, she should be informed that there was
a ticket to London there for her if she would be prepared to perform
on television.
His first series of
zoological programmes, 'Zoo Quest', introduced viewers to the thrills
of seeing animals perform unique and amazing behaviours in the wilds of
Africa, South America, Indonesia, and Australia. These first
expeditions seem perfect examples of a
flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of exploring which gave way to a
bit more organisation as more and more were undertaken. His programmes
were among the first to show many spectacular species in the wild, such
as Komodo dragons and Birds of Paradise. Attenborough's enthusiasm is
never more apparent than when he is remembering the journeys and
landscapes of his adventures.
A 1950s trip to Paraguay
involved a meeting with his naturalist contemporary, Gerald Durrell. A
recent reading of Durrell's fascinating 1970s commentary on the
meaning and purpose of zoos in modern society, 'The Stationary Ark',
was illuminating. While zoos have undoubtedly come a long way since that
time, it is a testament to his vision that he proposes here the
modern view of a zoo as a place both of education and for the
conservation and captive breeding of endangered species. His
trademark levity and wit is evident even in a more serious treatise of
this sort, as opposed to his classic memoirs.
Attenborough's present
status as a British 'national treasure' is clearly well-deserved. His
ability to engage an audience with the natural world and its
inhabitants is unparalleled, on the page as much as on the screen.
His involvement in the development of natural history programming has
resulted in some of the television classics of the modern era such
as Planet Earth, one of the fastest selling non-fiction DVDs of all
time. His legacy will be generations of people engaged in and
enthusiastic about the world around them and its conservation.
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