Today, Friday 8 May, Sir David Attenborough marks his 100th birthday.
Sir David Attenborough at London Zoo’s Penguin Beach
This is not just a huge cause for celebration, but a moment to reflect on a life that has shaped how we see and understand the natural world. For generations, his voice has been a guide to the planet’s most remarkable places, revealing the incredible species that call them home. His work has done more than document life on Earth; it has transformed our relationship with it.
Few individuals have impacted humanity’s relationship with nature as profoundly as Sir David. Through decades of broadcasting, he has brought the living world into people’s homes and helped to inspire a sense of connection and admiration that is fundamental to conservation. In the words of Sir David himself, “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced”.
In 2004, Sir David Attenborough opened the Komodo Dragon House at London Zoo
(left) In 2007, Sir David Attenborough launches the National Moth Recording Scheme at London Zoo. (right) Sir David and Bulu the orangutan in 1982
As Sir David Attenborough celebrates his 100th birthday, ZSL is marking a milestone of its own – our 200th anniversary. These shared landmarks offer a rare moment to reflect not only on the passage of time, but on a century of growing understanding about the natural world, and how both have evolved alongside a rapidly changing world.
Over the decades, Sir David’s relationship with ZSL has been intertwined with his own journey as a natural history storyteller. In the early years of his career, London Zoo provided the setting and expertise that supported the filming of Zoo Quest, the groundbreaking series that helped introduce global audiences to wildlife in a new way. Those early collaborations played a role in shaping a career that would go on to redefine how the natural world is communicated.
Filming for Zoo Quest in Sierra Leone in 1954
That connection has continued across the decades. He has returned to London Zoo for filming, conservation project launches and key moments that have helped highlight the evolving role of modern zoos in conservation, education and research. From engaging with scientific work to lending his voice to conservation initiatives, his involvement has consistently brought wider attention to the challenges facing wildlife.
(left) Sir David filming in the ZSL library and (right) with Kate Humble at London Zoo
Filming the Jumbo documentary at Whipsnade Zoo in 2017
Sir David’s support during the COVID-19 pandemic – when ZSL faced closure due to the prolonged lockdowns that stopped our zoos from opening – was a powerful demonstration of his commitment to the organisations and people working to protect wildlife, as well as the animals in their care. We are driven by the same principle, that knowledge and connection are powerful catalysts for change. In this, Sir David has been an enduring and deeply valued ally.
In an extraordinary show of support, Sir David Attenborough, for the first time, lends his voice to a TV appeal to raise funds for ZSL
That relationship also mirrors a broader shift in how we understand our place in the natural world. Early natural history often focused on exploration and discovery; today, the emphasis is firmly on protection and restoration. Sir David has been central to that transition, using his platform to communicate the urgency of environmental challenges while continuing to offer hope and possibility.
(left) 2004 – The opening of the Komodo Dragon house in 2004 and (right) Sir David delivers the Stamford Raffles Lecture at London Zoo in the same year
His influence is keenly evident within our own organisation. Many of the scientists, conservationists and animal care experts at ZSL were inspired by his programmes. For them, his storytelling helped spark a lifelong commitment to wildlife – a reminder that communication can be as powerful as scientific discovery in driving change.
Sir David meeting with zookeepers at London Zoo
At our zoos, that influence continues to resonate. So many of our visitors arrive with a sense of curiosity already shaped by the stories he has told, regaling our staff with their feelings and excitement about his latest programme, sharing fun facts and new information they’ve gleaned.
Our admiration for Sir David is rooted not only in what he has achieved, but in how he has done it – with commitment, integrity and an enduring sense of wonder. Those qualities continue to inspire our work at ZSL as we enter our third century.
Together, these anniversaries are a reminder of what can be accomplished over time, and of the responsibility that comes with that progress. Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday is both a celebration and a call to continue to deepen our understanding, strengthen our commitment and work collectively to create a world where wildlife thrives.
