106-1003: Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra in Morigaon district in Assam , India . It was declared in 1987 and covers 38.85 km (15.00 sq mi), providing grassland and wetland habitat for the Indian rhinoceros . It holds one of the largest Indian rhinoceros population in Assam. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary's grassland vegetation consists of at least 15 grass species including Cynodon dactylon , whip grass ( Hemarthria compressa ), vetiver ( Chrysopogon zizanioides ), ravennagrass ( Saccharum ravennae ), Phragmites karka , southern cutgrass ( Leersia hexandra ) and signalgrass ( Brachiaria pseudointerrupta ). The grasslands provide habitat and food resource for
212-419: A BBC One wildlife series that ran for 253 episodes between 1977 and 2005. At its peak, it drew a weekly audience of eight to ten million, and the 1987 episode "Meerkats United" was voted the best wildlife documentary of all time by BBC viewers. He has narrated over 50 episodes of Natural World , BBC Two's flagship wildlife series. Its forerunner, The World About Us , was created by Attenborough in 1969, as
318-515: A BirdLife International project to stop the killing of albatross by longline fishing boats. He gave support to WWF 's campaign to have 220,000 square kilometres of Borneo 's rainforest designated a protected area . He serves as a vice-president of The Conservation Volunteers , vice-president of Fauna and Flora International , president of Butterfly Conservation and president emeritus of Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust . In 2003, Attenborough launched an appeal on behalf of
424-478: A Peabody Award . Prompted by an enthusiastic ornithologist at the BBC Natural History Unit, Attenborough then turned his attention to birds. As he was neither a birdwatcher nor a bird expert, he decided he was better qualified to make The Life of Birds (1998) on the theme of behaviour. The documentary series won a second Peabody Award the following year. The order of the remaining "Life" series
530-600: A wildlife refuge , wildlife sanctuary , biosphere reserve or bioreserve , natural or nature preserve , or nature conservation area ) is a protected area of importance for flora , fauna , funga , or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for purposes of conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research . They may be designated by government institutions in some countries, or by private landowners, such as charities and research institutions . Nature reserves fall into different IUCN categories depending on
636-535: A 2013 interview with the Radio Times , Attenborough described humans as a "plague on the Earth", and described the act of sending food to famine -stricken countries as "barmy" for population reasons. He called for more debate about human population growth, saying that since he "first started making programmes 60 years ago, the human population has tripled." According to Attenborough, improving women's rights around
742-462: A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1 December 1999. In Kosovo, there are 2 national parks , 11 nature reserves, 99 natural monuments and 3 protected landscapes . The national parks are Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park and Sharr Mountains National Park . As of 2011, Poland has 1469 nature reserves. Nature reserves are one of the 11 types of protected areas in Portugal. As of 2012, Portugal had
848-627: A clause inserted in his contract that would allow him to continue making programmes on an occasional basis. Later the same year he filmed elephants in Tanzania, and in 1969 he made a three-part series on the cultural history of the Indonesian island of Bali . For the 1971 film A Blank on the Map , he joined the first Western expedition to a remote highland valley in New Guinea to seek out a lost tribe . BBC Two
954-460: A comprehensive survey of animal and plant life on Earth. Attenborough was a senior manager at the BBC , having served as controller of BBC Two and director of programming for BBC Television in the 1960s and 1970s. First becoming prominent as host of Zoo Quest in 1954, his filmography as writer, presenter and narrator has spanned eight decades; it includes Natural World , Wildlife on One ,
1060-921: A federal government, Canada recognizes 55 National Wildlife Areas, containing species of ecological significance. This area is protected by legislation known as the Canada Wildlife Act, which is overseen by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. About half of the habitat is marine habitat, and the remainder is terrestrial habitat. Nature Conservancy Canada, Ducks Unlimited, and Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, among others, protect nature reserves in Canada as well. As part of Canada's Ecological Gifts Program, these charities protect wilderness on privately owned lands. There are 30 nature reserves in Egypt which cover 12% of Egyptian land. Those nature reserves were built according to
1166-505: A final section of the work. He also narrated Wild Karnataka , a documentary about the Karnataka forest area. In 2019, Attenborough's one-off film documentary about climate change for BBC One called Climate Change – The Facts was aired; the tone of the documentary was significantly graver than previous work for the BBC. This was followed by Extinction: The Facts , which is partly based on
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#17331056663951272-399: A five-part earth science series for BBC One. Attenborough was a key figure in the build-up to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), and gave a speech at the opening ceremony. In his speech he stated that humans were "the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed on Earth" and spoke of his optimism for the future, finishing by saying "In my lifetime I've witnessed
1378-547: A freelance broadcaster and started work on his next project, a trip to Indonesia with a crew from the Natural History Unit. It resulted in the 1973 series Eastwards with Attenborough , which was similar in tone to the earlier Zoo Quest ; the main difference was the introduction of colour. Attenborough stated that he wanted to work in Asia, because previous nature documentaries had mostly focused on Africa. That year, Attenborough
1484-608: A general system for sanctuaries to follow. Among them, the American Sanctuary Association monitors and aids in various facilities to care for exotic wildlife. The number of sanctuaries has substantially increased over the past few years. In Australia , a nature reserve is the title of a type of protected area used in the jurisdictions of the Australian Capital Territory , New South Wales , Tasmania and Western Australia . The term "nature reserve"
1590-581: A long-lasting increase in public, media and political attention to plastic pollution . Attenborough narrated the 2018 five-part series Dynasties , each episode dealing with one species in particular. In 2021, he presented the three-part series Attenborough's Life in Colour , and The Mating Game , a five-part series. Attenborough returned to prehistoric life with Dinosaurs: The Final Day and Prehistoric Planet aired in April and May 2022 respectively. By
1696-557: A more prominent role in Frozen Planet , a major series on the natural history of the polar regions ; Attenborough appeared on screen and authored the final episode, in addition to performing voiceover duties. Attenborough introduced and narrated the Unit's first 4K production Life Story . For Planet Earth II (2016), Attenborough returned as narrator and presenter, with the main theme music composed by Hans Zimmer . In October 2014,
1802-480: A producer for the Talks department, which handled all non-fiction broadcasts. His early projects included the quiz show Animal, Vegetable, Mineral? and Song Hunter, a series about folk music presented by Alan Lomax . Attenborough's association with natural history programmes began when he produced and presented the three-part series Animal Patterns. The studio-bound programme featured animals from London Zoo , with
1908-447: A programme which highlighted the plight of endangered species to the BBC's Saving Planet Earth project in 2007, the 50th anniversary of the Natural History Unit. In 2019, Attenborough narrated Our Planet , an eight-part documentary series, for Netflix . In contrast to much of his prior work for the BBC, this series emphasised the destructive role of human activities throughout the series. Before, he would often note concerns in
2014-556: A scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge in 1945 to study geology and zoology and obtained a degree in natural sciences . In 1947, he was called up for national service in the Royal Navy and spent two years stationed in North Wales and the Firth of Forth . In 1950, Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel. The couple had two children, Robert and Susan. Jane died in 1997. Robert
2120-453: A series on tribal art ( The Tribal Eye , 1975) and another on the voyages of discovery ( The Explorers , 1975). He presented a BBC children's series about cryptozoology entitled Fabulous Animals (1975), which featured mythical creatures such as mermaids and unicorns . Eventually, the BBC signed a co-production deal with Turner Broadcasting and Life on Earth moved into production in 1976. In 1979, he visited China and reported to
2226-443: A ten-part series focussing on extraordinary animal behaviour, and narrated Nature's Great Events , which showed how seasonal changes trigger major natural spectacles. In January 2009, the BBC commissioned Attenborough to provide a series of 20 ten-minute monologues covering the history of nature. Entitled David Attenborough's Life Stories , they were broadcast on Radio 4 on Friday nights. In 2011, Fothergill gave Attenborough
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#17331056663952332-599: A terrible decline. In yours, you could and should witness a wonderful recovery." In 2022, the United Nations Environment Programme recognised Attenborough as a Champion of the Earth "for his dedication to research, documentation, and advocacy for the protection of nature and its restoration". Attenborough's programmes have often included references to the impact of human society on the natural world. The last episode of The Living Planet , for example, focuses almost entirely on humans' destruction of
2438-752: A total area of approximately 1,330 km (510 sq mi). Section 21 of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 gives local authorities the exclusive statutory power to establish a local nature reserve in consultation with the SNH. The biosphere reserves of Iran have a total land area of 1.64 million km . The "reserves" support more than 8,000 recorded species of plants (almost 2,421 are endemic ), 502 species of birds , 164 species of mammals , 209 species of reptiles , and 375 species of butterflies . India 's 18 biospheres extend over
2544-646: A total of 46 protected areas, which represented 6,807.89 km (2,628.54 sq mi) of land and 463.94 km (179.13 sq mi) of marine surfaces. Among the protected areas, nine are classified as nature reserve ( Portuguese : reserva natural ). About 5.18% of the area of Romania has a protected status (12,360 km (4,770 sq mi)), including the Danube Delta , which makes up half of this area (2.43% of Romania's total area). There are 15 National Parks, and around 90 Natural Parks in Spain. Spain
2650-686: A total of 85,940 km (33,180 sq mi) and protect larger areas than typical national parks in other countries. The first national reserve of India was established in 1986. Israel 's national parks are declared historic sites or nature reserves, which are mostly operated and maintained by the National Nature and Parks Authority. As of 2019, Israel maintains more than 490 nature reserves that protect 2,500 species of indigenous wild plants, 20 species of fish, 530 species of birds and 70 species of mammals. In total, they cover 6,400 km (2,500 sq mi) of nature reserves, approximately 28% of
2756-497: A vegetarian diet or to reduce meat consumption to save wildlife , noting that "the planet can't support billions of meat-eaters." Attenborough has linked anthropogenic effects on the environment with human population growth . He has attracted criticism for his views on human overpopulation and human population control . He is a patron of Population Matters , a UK charity advocating for family planning , sustainable consumption and proposed sustainable human population . In
2862-490: A vehicle for colour television. In 1997, he narrated the BBC Wildlife Specials , each focussing on a charismatic species, and screened to mark the Natural History Unit's 40th anniversary. As a writer and narrator, Attenborough continued to collaborate with the BBC Natural History Unit in the new millennium. Alastair Fothergill , a senior producer with whom Attenborough had worked on The Trials of Life and Life in
2968-614: A wildlife refuge since very few people live in the area. Wildlife has flourished in the zone since the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. South Africa is well known for its many nature reserves. The oldest nature reserve in the country (and oldest conservation area in the world) is the Groenkloof Nature Reserve that was established in 1892 in the capital city Pretoria in the old South African Republic and current Republic of South Africa. The country has many national parks but
3074-484: A young Jacquetta Hawkes admired his collection. He spent much time in the grounds of the university. Aged around 11, he heard that the zoology department needed a large supply of newts , which he offered through his father to supply for 3d each. The source, which he did not reveal at the time, was a pond right next to the department. A year later, his adoptive sister Marianne gave him a piece of amber containing prehistoric creatures; some sixty years later, it would be
3180-791: Is Rye Harbour Nature Reserve in East Sussex, where a network of footpaths enables visitors to explore shingle, saltmarsh, saline lagoon, reedbed, and grazing marsh habitats. Through the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) was established in 1992 as a government body, responsible to the Scottish Government Ministers and through them to the Scottish Parliament. At 31 March 2008, there were 65 Scottish national nature reserves with
3286-570: Is a patron. He later became patron of the World Land Trust. In 2020, he backed a Fauna and Flora International campaign calling for a global moratorium on deep sea mining for its impact on marine life. During the COVID-19 pandemic , Attenborough advocated on behalf of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and its conservation efforts, which have been impacted by the economic fallout from
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3392-657: Is a senior lecturer in bioanthropology for the School of Archaeology and Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra . Susan is a former primary school headmistress. Attenborough had a pacemaker fitted in June 2013 as well as a double knee replacement in 2015. In September 2013, he commented: "If I was earning my money by hewing coal I would be very glad indeed to stop. But I'm not. I'm swanning round
3498-453: Is also protected, and hunting is not allowed, but products and by-products from research may be sold. Wildlife refuges in Brazil have as their objective the protection of natural flora and fauna where conditions are assured for the existence and reproduction of species or communities of the local flora and the resident or migratory fauna. The refuges can consist of privately owned land, as long as
3604-860: Is defined in the relevant statutes used in those states and territories rather than by a single national statute. As of 2016, 1767 out of a total of 11044 protected areas listed within the Australian National Reserve System used the term "nature reserve" in their names. In Brazil, nature reserves are classified by the National System of Nature Conservation Units as ecological stations ( Portuguese : estações ecológicas ) or biological reserves ( Portuguese : reservas biológicas ). Their main objectives are preserving fauna and flora and other natural attributes, excluding direct human interference. Visits are allowed only with permission, and only for educational or scientific purposes. Changes to
3710-478: Is no comment whatsoever on Terry Wogan's talents." Attenborough has also acknowledged that he sanctioned the wiping of television output during this period to cut costs, including a series by Alan Bennett , which he later regretted. In 1969, Attenborough was promoted to director of programmes, making him responsible for the output of both BBC channels. His tasks, which included agreeing budgets, attending board meetings and firing staff, were now far removed from
3816-557: Is specifically defined in the Reserves Act to mean a reserve that prioritizes the protection of rare flora and fauna, to the extent that public access is by permit only. Some of these reserves include Ecological Islands , a comparatively new concept in wildlife preservation, pioneered in New Zealand to help rebuild the populations of nearly extinct birds, and other species that are heavily threatened by introduced predators. In Nicaragua ,
3922-612: Is the country with the most sites listed in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves . There are 4 biosphere reserves (two of them are dated 1927 and 1874) and 17 nature reserves in Ukraine, covering 160,000 ha (400,000 acres). Ukraine administers 40 national parks , 2632 habitat management areas, 3025 nature monuments, and 1430 other preservations. There are some differences between the regulations for England , Northern Ireland , Scotland and Wales , which are separately managed. At
4028-625: Is yet to be officially classified), and seven specific types of "reserve", each of which prioritize various degrees of protection to different amenities such as scenery, recreation, flora and fauna, scientific value, or history. Land is often sub-categorised beneath its general classification, as defined in law between the Reserves Act of 1977 , the National Parks Act of 1980 , and the Conservation Act of 1987 . Under these classifications,
4134-850: The Planet Earth franchise , The Blue Planet and its sequel . He is the only person to have won BAFTA Awards in black and white, colour , high-definition , 3D and 4K resolution . Over his life he has collected dozens of honorary degrees and awards, including three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Narration . While Attenborough's earlier work focused primarily on the wonders of the natural world , his later work has been more vocal in support of environmental causes. He has advocated for restoring planetary biodiversity , limiting population growth , switching to renewable energy , mitigating climate change , reducing meat consumption , and setting aside more areas for natural preservation . On his broadcasting and passion for nature, NPR stated Attenborough "roamed
4240-634: The BBC Natural History Unit was formally established in Bristol . Attenborough was asked to join it, but declined, not wishing to move from London where he and his young family were settled. Instead, he formed his own department, the Travel and Exploration Unit, which allowed him to continue to front Zoo Quest as well as produce other documentaries, notably the Travellers' Tales and Adventure series. In
4346-464: The Department of Conservation administers more than 80,000 square kilometres (31,000 sq mi)—nearly 30% of the nation's total area—with at least some degree of protection. This land is composed of 14 National Parks, 30 Conservation Parks, and approximately 8,900 discrete areas of land in total. Although the most public land is strongly protected for natural preservation, the term nature reserve
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4452-629: The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) is in charge of environmental protection and of the study, planning, and management of Nicaragua's natural resources. Nearly one-fifth of the territory is designated as protected areas like national parks, nature reserves (including the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve ), and biological reserves. Nicaragua has 78 protected areas that cover 22,422 km (8,657 sq mi), about 17.3% of
4558-510: The World Land Trust to create a rainforest reserve in Ecuador in memory of Christopher Parsons, the producer of Life on Earth and a personal friend, who had died the previous year. The same year, he helped to launch ARKive , a global project instigated by Parsons to gather together natural history media into a digital library. ARKive is an initiative of Wildscreen , of which Attenborough
4664-507: The 10th project for Attenborough and Atlantic, and saw him returning to a location he first filmed at in 1957. On radio, Attenborough has continued as one of the presenters of BBC Radio 4's Tweet of the Day , which began a second series in September 2014. Attenborough forged a partnership with Sky , working on documentaries for the broadcaster's new 3D network, Sky 3D . Their first collaboration
4770-655: The 2019 IPBES report on the decline of biodiversity . In 2020, Attenborough narrated the documentary film David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet . The film acts as Attenborough's witness statement, reflecting on his career as a naturalist and his hopes for the future. It was released on Netflix on 4 October 2020. Further work for Netflix includes the documentary titled Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet , released on 4 June 2021. In October 2020, Attenborough began filming in Cambridge for The Green Planet . In 2021, Attenborough narrated A Perfect Planet ,
4876-567: The British established the Yob Wildlife Reserve in northern Eritrea specifically to protect significant populations of Nubian ibex in the area. Denmark has three national parks and several nature reserves, some of them inside the national park areas. The largest single reserve is Hanstholm Nature Reserve, which covers 40 km (9,900 acres) and is part of Thy National Park . In Sweden , there are 30 national parks . The first of them
4982-592: The Freezer , the first television series to survey the natural history of Antarctica . Although past normal retirement age, he then embarked on a number of more specialised surveys of the natural world, beginning with plants. They proved a difficult subject for his producers, who had to deliver hours of television featuring what are essentially immobile objects. The result was The Private Life of Plants (1995), which showed plants as dynamic organisms by using time-lapse photography to speed up their growth, and went on to earn
5088-501: The Freezer , was making The Blue Planet (2001), the Unit's first comprehensive series on marine life . He decided not to use an on-screen presenter due to difficulties in speaking to a camera through diving apparatus, but asked Attenborough to narrate the films. The same team reunited for Planet Earth (2006), the biggest nature documentary ever made for television and the first BBC wildlife series to be shot in high definition . In 2009, Attenborough co-wrote and narrated Life ,
5194-465: The Indian rhinoceros, hosting Assam's second largest population. Other mammals occurring in the sanctuary are golden jackal , wild boar and feral water buffalo . Barking deer , Indian leopard and rhesus macaque live foremost in the hilly parts. It is an Important Bird Area and home for more than 2000 migratory birds and various reptiles. Wildlife sanctuary A nature reserve (also known as
5300-606: The Natural History Unit, who came up with a title Life on Earth and returned to Bristol to start planning the series. Attenborough harboured a strong desire to present the series himself, but this would not be possible so long as he remained in a management post. While in charge of BBC Two, Attenborough turned down Terry Wogan 's job application to be a presenter on the channel, stating that there weren't any suitable vacancies. The channel already had an Irish announcer, with Attenborough reflecting in 2016: "To have had two Irishmen presenting on BBC Two would have looked ridiculous. This
5406-410: The Talks (factual broadcasting) department of the BBC's fledgling television service. Attenborough, like most Britons at that time, did not own a television, and he had seen only one programme in his life. He accepted Adams' offer of a three-month training course. In 1952 he joined the BBC full-time. Initially discouraged from appearing on camera because Adams thought his teeth were too big, he became
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#17331056663955512-550: The United States is Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge and was established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 as part of his Square Deal campaign to improve the country. At the time, setting aside land for wildlife was not a constitutional right of the president. In 2006, a bi-partisan group of US House of Representatives members established the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus to further support
5618-447: The West for the first time about China's one-child policy. Beginning with Life on Earth in 1979, Attenborough set about creating a body of work which became a benchmark of quality in wildlife film-making, and influenced a generation of documentary film-makers. The series established many of the hallmarks of the BBC's natural history output. By treating his subject seriously and researching
5724-490: The advent of colour television , Attenborough brought snooker to the BBC to show the benefits of the format, as the sport uses coloured balls. The show – Pot Black – was later credited with the boom of the sport into the 1980s. One of his most significant decisions was to order a 13-part series on the history of Western art , to show off the quality of the new UHF colour television service that BBC Two offered. Broadcast to universal acclaim in 1969, Civilisation set
5830-619: The ancient world. According to stone inscriptions found in the vicinity, the king commanded the people not to harm animals or destroy trees within the area. In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service , managed by the Secretary of the Interior , is responsible for managing many of the federal nature reserves including the National Wildlife Refuge System . The National Wildlife Refuge System includes areas administered for
5936-437: The arts, entertainment, archaeology, experimental comedy, travel, drama, sport, business, science and natural history all found a place in the weekly schedules. Often, an eclectic mix was offered within a single evening's viewing. Programmes he commissioned included Man Alive , Call My Bluff , Chronicle , Match of the Day , The Old Grey Whistle Test , Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Money Programme . With
6042-782: The best-known is the Kruger National Park , which was announced in 1898, and is the largest, at nearly 2,000,000 ha (20,000 km ). The Kruger Park and Table Mountain National Park are two of South Africa's most visited tourist attractions, along with the Addo Elephant National Park . South Africa also has 10 World Heritage Sites , including four natural sites and one mixed site. And it has provincial game reserves including Shamwari , Londolozi , Sanbona and Lalibela. The country currently has 20 national parks covering 3,700,000 ha (37,000 km ), about 3% of
6148-408: The blueprint for landmark authored documentaries , which were informally known as "sledgehammer" projects. Others followed, including Jacob Bronowski 's The Ascent of Man (also commissioned by Attenborough), and Alistair Cooke 's America . Attenborough thought that the story of evolution would be a natural subject for such a series. He shared his idea with Christopher Parsons , a producer at
6254-434: The business of filming programmes. When Attenborough's name was being suggested as a candidate for the position of Director-General of the BBC in 1972, he phoned his brother Richard to confess that he had no appetite for the job. Early the following year, he left his post to return to full-time programme-making, leaving him free to write and present the planned natural history epic. After his resignation, Attenborough became
6360-526: The corporation announced a trio of new one-off Attenborough documentaries as part of a raft of new natural history programmes. "Attenborough's Paradise Birds" and "Attenborough's Big Birds" was shown on BBC Two and "Waking Giants", which follows the discovery of giant dinosaur bones in South America, aired on BBC One. The BBC also commissioned Atlantic Productions to make a three-part, Attenborough-fronted series Great Barrier Reef in 2015. The series marked
6466-871: The country's land area. In 1984, the two areas with the highest number of nature reserves were the South (15.2%) and Samaria (the Shomron, 13.5%). Under the Nature Conservation Law, places can be designated as 'wilderness areas', 'nature conservation areas' and 'prefectural nature conservation areas'. In 1995, when the Japanese Government published its information in English, there were 5 wilderness areas, 10 nature conservation areas and 516 prefectural nature conservation areas. There are seven nature reserves in Jordan . In 1966
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#17331056663956572-622: The country's total area. A few of them predate the October Revolution of 1917, but most have been created during the Soviet Union era. There are also natural protected areas where only certain species are protected, or only certain activities are prohibited; those are known as zakaznik (Russian: заказник ). Unofficial sanctuaries can also occur as a result of human accidents; the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has in practice become
6678-402: The delicate balance between them be destroyed. The idea that mankind was endangering nature by recklessly despoiling and plundering its riches was unheard of at the time, but it is one that has remained part of Dave's own credo to this day." In 1999, Richard directed a biopic of Belaney entitled Grey Owl . Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester. He won
6784-433: The early 1960s, Attenborough resigned from the permanent staff of the BBC to study for a postgraduate degree in social anthropology at the London School of Economics , interweaving his study with further filming. However, he accepted an invitation to return to the BBC as controller of BBC Two before he could finish the degree. Attenborough became Controller of BBC Two in March 1965, succeeding Michael Peacock . He had
6890-424: The ecosystems in both types of reserve are allowed to restore and preserve the natural balance, biological diversity and natural ecological processes. Ecological stations are also allowed to change the environment within strictly defined limits (e.g. affecting no more than three percent of the area or 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres), whichever is less) for the purpose of scientific research. A wildlife reserve in Brazil
6996-536: The end of March 2004, there were 215 national nature reserves in England with a total area of 879 km (339 sq mi). The reserves are scattered through England, from Lindisfarne in Northumberland to The Lizard in Cornwall . Nearly every rural county has at least one. Many national nature reserves contain nationally important populations of rare flowers , ferns and mosses , butterflies and other insects , and nesting and wintering birds . Examples include unique alpine plants at Upper Teesdale and
7102-518: The environment and ways that it could be stopped or reversed. Despite this, he has been criticised for not giving enough prominence to environmental messages. In 2018 while promoting Dynasties , he said that repeated messages on threats to wildlife in programming could be a "turn-off" to viewers. Some environmentalists feel that programmes like Attenborough's give a false picture of idyllic wilderness and do not do enough to acknowledge that such areas are increasingly encroached upon by humans. However,
7208-504: The field of snake's head fritillaries at North Meadow, Cricklade , Wiltshire . There are now over 1,050 local nature reserves in England. They range from windswept coastal headlands, ancient woodlands and flower-rich meadows to former inner-city railways, long-abandoned landfill sites and industrial areas now re-colonized by wildlife. In total, they cover almost 40,000 ha (99,000 acres)—a natural resource which makes an important contribution to England's biodiversity . A good example
7314-423: The first time, and in 2005, Life in the Undergrowth introduced audiences to the world of invertebrates . At this point, Attenborough realised that he had spent 20 years unconsciously assembling a collection of programmes on all the major groups of terrestrial animals and plants – only reptiles and amphibians were missing. When Life in Cold Blood was broadcast in 2008, he had the satisfaction of completing
7420-463: The focus of his programme The Amber Time Machine . In 1936, Attenborough and his brother Richard attended a lecture by Grey Owl (Archibald Belaney) at De Montfort Hall , Leicester , and were influenced by his advocacy of conservation. According to Richard, David was "bowled over by the man's determination to save the beaver, by his profound knowledge of the flora and fauna of the Canadian wilderness and by his warnings of ecological disaster should
7526-403: The globe and shared his discoveries and enthusiasms with his patented semi-whisper way of narrating". He is widely considered a national treasure in the UK, although he himself does not embrace the term. David Frederick Attenborough was born on 8 May 1926 in Isleworth , Middlesex , and grew up in College House on the campus of the University of Leicester , where his father, Frederick ,
7632-430: The increased urgency of environmental messaging in films such as Extinction: The Facts , which depicts the continuing sixth mass extinction , Climate Change – The Facts and A Life on Our Planet from 2019 and 2020 received praise. In Seven Worlds, One Planet , Attenborough discusses the devastating impact that deforestation is having on the planet and the species. In 2005 and 2006, Attenborough backed
7738-513: The issue until 2006. Attenborough attended and spoke at COP26 as the "People's Advocate" for the event, and urged world leaders to act to reduce emissions. He supported Glyndebourne in their successful application to obtain planning permission for a wind turbine in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty , and gave evidence at the planning inquiry arguing in favour of the proposal. In his 2020 documentary film David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet , Attenborough advocates for people to adopt
7844-571: The largest total areas being in Bavaria with 1,416 km (547 sq mi) and Lower Saxony with 1,275 km (492 sq mi). In Hungary, there are 10 national parks , more than 15 nature reserves and more than 250 protected areas. Hortobágy National Park is the largest continuous natural grassland in Europe and the oldest national park in Hungary. It is situated on the eastern part of Hungary, on
7950-461: The latest discoveries, Attenborough and his production team gained the trust of scientists, who responded by allowing him to feature their subjects in his programmes. Innovation was another factor in Life on Earth 's success: new film-making techniques were devised to get the shots Attenborough wanted, with a focus on events and animals that were up till then unfilmed. International air travel enabled
8056-550: The laws no. 102/1983 and 4/1994 for protection of the Egyptian nature reserve. Egypt announced a plan from to build 40 nature reserves from 1997 to 2017, to help protect the natural resources and the culture and history of those areas. The largest nature reserve in Egypt is Gebel Elba (35,600 square kilometres (13,700 sq mi)) in the southeast, on the Red Sea coast. On 16 March 1959,
8162-506: The level of protection afforded by local laws. Normally it is more strictly protected than a nature park . Various jurisdictions may use other terminology, such as ecological protection area or private protected area in legislation and in official titles of the reserves. Cultural practices that roughly equate to the establishment and maintenance of reserved areas for animals date back to antiquity, with King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka establishing Mihintale wildlife sanctuary, one of
8268-530: The nation's landmass. Private nature reserves exist with land excluded from private land trusts and maintained at the sole cost of the proprietor. For example, O Parks, WildLife, and Recreation, Or El Ostional Private Wildlife Reserve, was established within the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor by retired FDNY firefighter Kevin Michael Shea, who purchased 46 acres (0.19 km ) of land for
8374-614: The natural history genre. He wrote and presented a series on man's influence on the natural history of the Mediterranean Basin , The First Eden , in 1987. Two years later, he demonstrated his passion for fossils in Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives . In 1990, he worked on the BBC's Prisoners of Conscience series where he highlighted the case of the Sudanese poet Mahjoub Sharif . Attenborough narrated every episode of Wildlife on One ,
8480-429: The naturalist Julian Huxley discussing their use of camouflage , aposematism and courtship displays . Through this programme, Attenborough met Jack Lester, the curator of the zoo's reptile house, and they decided to make a series about an animal-collecting expedition. The result was Zoo Quest , first broadcast in 1954, where Attenborough became the presenter at short notice due to Lester being taken ill. In 1957,
8586-665: The needs of the National Wildlife Refuge System in Congress . David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough ( / ˈ æ t ən b ə r ə / ; born 8 May 1926) is a British broadcaster, biologist, natural historian, and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit , the nine nature documentary series forming the Life collection ,
8692-549: The objectives of the unit are compatible with the landowners' usage of the land and natural resources. Public visits are subject to the conditions and restrictions established by the management plan of the unit and are subject to authorisation by and regulations of the main administrative and scientific research body. The Niagara Escarpment and the St. Lawrence River in Ontario are among the 18 nature reserves recognized by UNESCO in Canada. As
8798-550: The organization that would later start Jordan's nature reserves, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature , was founded. RSCN's first efforts involved bringing back severely endangered species. In 1973, RSCN was given the right to issue hunting licenses, giving RSCN an upper hand in preventing extinction. The first step was the founding of Jordan's first nature reserve, Shaumari Wildlife Reserve , in 1975. The primary purpose
8904-569: The pandemic. In 2020, Attenborough was named as a member of the Earthshot prize Council, an initiative of Prince William to find solutions to environmental issues. He is a patron of the Friends of Richmond Park and serves on the advisory board of BBC Wildlife magazine . Attenborough was initially sceptical about the human influence on climate change , and stated that a 2004 lecture finally convinced him humans were responsible. He remained silent on
9010-571: The plain of the Alföld. It was established in 1972. There are alkaline grasslands interrupted by marshes. They have a sizable importance because there are the fishponds. One of the most spectacular sights of the park is the autumn migration of cranes. Some famous Hungarian animal species live in Hortobágy National Park, such as the grey cattle, racka long-wool sheep living only in Hungary, Hungarian horses and buffalo. Hortobágy National Park has been
9116-493: The protection and conservation of fish and wildlife that are threatened with extinction, as well as wildlife ranges, game ranges, wildlife management areas, and waterfowl production areas. The first North American wildlife refuge, Lake Merritt Wildlife sanctuary at Lake Merritt , was established by Samuel Merritt and enacted in California state law in 1870 as the first government owned refuge. The first federally owned refuge in
9222-518: The purpose of restoring the ecological system of a dry tropical forest , ravaged during the Nicaraguan Revolution . The park provides a private nature reserve, wildlife corridor and verified carbon credits . There are around 100 nature reserves ( Russian : заповедник , romanized : zapovednik ) in Russia, covering some 330,000 km (130,000 sq mi), or about 1.4% of
9328-413: The series to be devised so that Attenborough visited several locations around the globe in each episode, sometimes even changing continents in one sequence. Although appearing as the on-screen presenter, he restricted his time on camera to give more time to his subjects. Five years after the success of Life on Earth , the BBC released The Living Planet . This time, Attenborough built his series around
9434-481: The set, brought together in a DVD encyclopaedia called Life on Land . He commented: "The evolutionary history is finished. The endeavour is complete. If you'd asked me 20 years ago whether we'd be attempting such a mammoth task, I'd have said 'Don't be ridiculous!' These programmes tell a particular story and I'm sure others will come along and tell it much better than I did, but I do hope that if people watch it in 50 years' time, it will still have something to say about
9540-450: The theme of ecology, the adaptations of living things to their environment. It was another critical and commercial success, generating huge international sales for the BBC. In 1990, The Trials of Life completed the original Life trilogy, looking at animal behaviour through the different stages of life. In the 1990s, Attenborough continued to use the "Life" title for a succession of authored documentaries. In 1993, he presented Life in
9646-427: The third series showing in 2015. He has also narrated A majestic celebration: Wild Karnataka , India's first blue-chip natural history film, directed by Kalyan Varma and Amoghavarsha . Blue Planet II was broadcast in 2017, with Attenborough returning as presenter. The series was critically acclaimed and gained the highest UK viewing figure for 2017 of 14.1 million. The series is thought to have triggered
9752-461: The total area of South Africa. The Prince Edward Islands , which are South African territories in the Southern Ocean , have been declared a special nature reserve. It is a highly protected area from which all human activity is excluded, except for conservation and scientific research. The area around Mihintale , Sri Lanka , was a sanctuary for wildlife, probably the first of its generation in
9858-556: The turn of the millennium, Attenborough's authored documentaries were adopting a more overtly environmentalist stance. In State of the Planet (2000), he used the latest scientific evidence and interviews with leading scientists and conservationists to assess the impact of human activities on the natural world. He later turned to the issues of global warming ( The Truth about Climate Change , 2006) and human population growth ( How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? , 2009). He contributed
9964-416: The world looking at the most fabulously interesting things. Such good fortune." After leaving the navy, Attenborough took a position editing children's science textbooks for a publishing company. He soon became disillusioned with the work and in 1950 applied for a job as a radio talk producer with the BBC . Although he was rejected for this job, his CV later attracted the interest of Mary Adams , head of
10070-483: The world we live in." However, in 2010 Attenborough asserted that his First Life – dealing with evolutionary history before Life on Earth – should be included within the "Life" series. In the documentary Attenborough's Journey , he stated, "This series, to a degree which I really didn't fully appreciate until I started working on it, really completes the set." Alongside the Life series, Attenborough continued to work on other television documentaries, mainly in
10176-441: The world's earliest wildlife sanctuaries , in the 3rd-century-BC Anuradhapura Ancient Kingdom. Early reservations often had a religious underpinning, such as the 'evil forest' areas of West Africa which were forbidden to humans, who were threatened with spiritual attack if they went there. Sacred areas taboo from human entry to fishing and hunting are known by many ancient cultures worldwide. The world's first modern nature reserve
10282-615: Was Flying Monsters 3D , a film about pterosaurs which debuted on Christmas Day of 2010. A second film, The Penguin King 3D , followed a year later. His next 3D project, Conquest of the Skies , made by the team behind the BAFTA award-winning David Attenborough's Natural History Museum Alive , aired on Sky 3D during Christmas 2014. Attenborough has narrated three series of David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities for UKTV channel Watch , with
10388-603: Was Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States , followed by the Royal National Park near Sydney , Australia, and the Barguzin Nature Reserve of Imperial Russia , the first of zapovedniks set up by a federal government entirely for the scientific study of nature. There are several national and international organizations that oversee the numerous non-profit animal sanctuaries and refuges to provide
10494-671: Was principal . He is the middle of three sons; his elder brother, Richard , became an actor and director, and his younger brother, John , was an executive at the Italian car manufacturer Alfa Romeo . During the Second World War , through a British volunteer network known as the Refugee Children's Movement , his parents also fostered two Jewish refugee girls from Germany. Attenborough spent his childhood collecting fossils , stones, and natural specimens. He received encouragement when
10600-498: Was described by David Attenborough as "one of the first people anywhere to recognise not only that the natural world was of great importance but that it needed protection as humanity made more and more demands on it". Drachenfels was protected as the first state-designated nature reserve in modern-day Germany; the site was bought by the Prussian State in 1836 to protect it from further quarrying. The first major nature reserve
10706-444: Was dictated by developments in camera technology. For The Life of Mammals (2002), low-light and infrared cameras were deployed to reveal the behaviour of nocturnal mammals. The series contains a number of memorable two shots of Attenborough and his subjects, which included chimpanzees, a blue whale and a grizzly bear . Advances in macro photography made it possible to capture the natural behaviour of very small creatures for
10812-628: Was established in 1821 by the naturalist and explorer Charles Waterton around his estate in Walton Hall, West Yorkshire . He spent £9000 on the construction of a three-mile long, 9 ft tall wall to enclose his park against poachers . He tried to encourage bird life by planting trees and hollowing out trunks for owls to nest in. Waterton invented artificial nest boxes to house starlings , western jackdaws and sand martins ; and unsuccessfully attempted to introduce little owls from Italy. Waterton allowed local people access to his reserve and
10918-809: Was established in 1909. There are almost 4,000 nature reserves in Sweden. They comprise about 85% of the surface that is protected by the Swedish Environmental Code. In Estonia, there are five national parks , more than 100 nature reserves, and around 130 landscape protection areas. The largest nature reserve in Estonia is Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve , which covers 342 km (85,000 acres). As of 2017, France counts 10 national parks , around 50 regional nature parks , and 8 marine parks . In 1995 Germany had 5,314 nature reserves ( German : Naturschutzgebiete ) covering 6,845 km (2,643 sq mi),
11024-501: Was invited to deliver the Royal Institution Christmas Lecture on The Language of Animals . After his work on Eastwards with Attenborough , he began to work on the scripts for Life on Earth . Due to the scale of his ambition, the BBC decided to partner with an American network to secure the necessary funding. While the negotiations were proceeding, he worked on a number of other television projects. He presented
11130-431: Was launched in 1964, but had struggled to capture the public's imagination. When Attenborough arrived as controller, he quickly abolished the channel's quirky kangaroo mascot and shook up the schedule. With a mission to make BBC Two's output diverse and different from that offered by other networks, he began to establish a portfolio of programmes that defined the channel's identity for decades to come. Under his tenure, music,
11236-604: Was to create means to breed endangered species, specifically: the Arabian oryx , gazelles , ostriches , and Persian onagers in their natural environment. By the end of 2009 there were 10 nature reserves ( Kyrgyz : корук , koruk ) in Kyrgyzstan covering 600,000 hectares (6,000 km ) or about three percent of the total area of the country. New Zealand has a variety of types of reserve, including national parks , various types of conservation areas (including stewardship land that
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