Indian naturalists and conservation experts reflect on the legacy of David Attenborough as he turns 100

As broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough turns 100 on May 8, Indian writers, wildlife filmmakers, and conservationists are looking back at his massive impact on how people view the natural world. Several prominent figures have shared how his decades of documentaries and books shaped their own journeys in wildlife study and conservation.

Memories and Early Influences

Jairam Ramesh noted that Attenborough was part of Indira Gandhi's circle of naturalists in the early 1960s, later winning the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development in 2019. However, Ramesh also cautioned that those who support Attenborough's ideas must oppose ecologically harmful undertakings like the Great Nicobar Project. Author Stephen Alter, born in Mussoorie and known for his book The Cobra's Gaze, credited Attenborough for presenting biology through storytelling without anthropomorphising animals. Writer Ranjit Lal praised his persistent work in building appreciation for unloved or venomous creatures, while calling some of Attenborough's past comments on population in Asia and Africa careless and tone-deaf.

Documentaries and Techniques

Filmmaker Sandesh Kadur highlighted Attenborough's use of slow motion, drones, and deep-sea cameras to reveal hidden wildlife behaviors like termite colonies, pointing out that human-driven climate change was a central thread in his work. Rohan Kadur recalled watching VHS cassettes of Life on Earth brought by his father Dr. Vishwanath Kadur, leading to a lifelong appreciation for series like Planet Earth 2 and its famous marine iguana and racer snake sequence. Cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty shared how Attenborough's documentaries shaped his series Green Humour, noting the broadcaster's equal enthusiasm for a bug or a gorilla. Romulus Whitaker recounted meeting Attenborough in 2005 after receiving a Whitley Fund for Nature award for establishing the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, where they discussed king cobras and Monty Python's Flying Circus, which Attenborough commissioned for BBC Two in 1969 as controller.

Conservation and the Future

Anita Mani recalled how watching shows like The Life of Birds with her son changed her family's view of wildlife and biodiversity. Former BNHS director Asad Rahmani and other experts emphasized that as Attenborough reaches his centenary, the focus must shift toward restraint in land use, climate crisis awareness, and active restoration to protect the planet's remaining wild spaces.