His relationship with turtles is a prime example of this shift. He presents animals as individuals with whom we share the world-and for whom we should worry. Unlike other documentaries about animals, which often focus on the violence and suffering inherent to wild populations, Attenborough’s documentaries broadcast many of the latest cognitive and ethical advancements in the study of animals for the first time. Research from the University College Cork in Ireland shows that his films may even help connect “increasingly urbanized societies to the natural world.” In fact, if it wasn’t for Attenborough’s documentaries, many viewers may have never imagined such abilities in mammals and birds, let alone fish, insects, spiders, and other invertebrates. In his films, animals are more often than not portrayed as individuals with personalities, emotions, and complex social relationships. Since then, Attenborough’s documentaries have reflected the most recent research on the study of animal behavior. By 1990, in “The Trials of Life,” the animals described by Attenborough had in many cases gone from being called “it” to “he” or “she.” Towards the end of the 1970s, in one of the most famous “Life on Earth” scenes, he can be seen sharing a quiet moment with a group of mountain gorillas. But those were different days,” he said.Īttenborough’s attitude towards animals has changed remarkably throughout his career. But 50 years later he admitted his regret. In “Zoo Quest” he can also be seen eating turtle eggs and jumping on animals, chasing them and pulling them by the tail to film them. “It was very unsatisfactory to make the animals look like freaks,” Attenborough said in an interview with Chris Packham. Later, he says he began to question the show’s motive. In his first television show, “Zoo Quest,” released in 1954, he traveled around the world in search of exotic animals to capture them and bring them to the UK to be exhibited in the London Zoo. Even famed environmental activist Greta Thunberg has acknowledged Attenborough’s impact on her work.īut Attenborough’s early portrayals of the natural world came with their own flaws. Attenborough’s passion for storytelling has made him an inspiration to an entire generation of biologists, travelers, ecologists, conservationists, and other presenters like Chris Packham, Liz Bonnin, and Steve Bakshall.
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