SQUEAK YOUR MIND
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’ T SUCCEED …
ATTENBOROUGH’ S L PLATES
collectors on quests to bring them back alive, and quite right too – the natural world is under more than enough pressure as it is, without being robbed of its most beautiful, charismatic and rarest inhabitants’, he said.( Phew, I was a bit worried for a moment there!)
SQUEAK YOUR MIND
There’ s only one animal David Attenborough really doesn’ t like, and that’ s RATS. They give him the ick. That’ s because they carry diseases and have a habit of jumping out at him when he least expects it.( To be honest, they probably don’ t like him much either.) In fact, David doesn’ t actually call himself an animal lover. He started making nature programmes because the natural world is fun and fascinating! But, he did say that if he could be a different species for a whole day, he’ d choose to‘ dance all day looking beautiful as a bird of paradise’.
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’ T SUCCEED …
David Attenborough holds the Guinness World Record for the longest working television presenter ever, but did you know he didn’ t get the first job he applied for at the BBC? And even when he did get a foot in the door, at first, it was hard for him to convince his TV bosses to let him film abroad. This was because film cameras were so expensive and heavy – nowadays they can fit in your pocket!
Words: Tanya Akrofi. Illustration: Kaley McKean
ATTENBOROUGH’ S L PLATES
Our favourite intrepid TV zoologist has never passed his driving test and doesn’ t own a car. Not because of his environmentalist’ s guilty conscience, but because he just hates driving!
Sir David Attenborough will be 100 years old on 8 May 2026! That makes him 99 years old next month!
FUN FACT TRUMPET
As a TV producer, David Attenborough is credited with changing the colour of tennis balls at tournaments from white to yellow, so they would stand out better on colour television!
PUZZLE ALERT!
A WILD WEEKEND!
David Attenborough is going on a weekend trip to Ibiza. What’ s he packing? Draw his suitcase contents, here.
5