An Overview of Attenborough’s Career
Sir David Frederick Attenborough’s incredible coverage of nature and especially nature in Africa on the BBC as well as his own literary work has marked an illustrious career. Over many years, Attenborough has increased awareness and interest about the planet’s rarest animals, plants, and natural phenomena. In his 2012 book, Eye to Eye With The Unknown, Attenborough expounds the wonder of Africa’s amazing wildlife, a recurring theme in his lengthy career.
Sir David first established himself as an expert on the planet’s nature with his revolutionary series entitled Zoo Quests, an important collaboration with a team from the Natural History Unit. This marked a formula for success that Attenborough would use many times over including in his next major project, Eastwards with Attenborough, in 1973.
In Eye To Eye With The Unknown, Sir David’s work is described as, “A breathtaking portrait of this mysterious continent as never before caught on film.” Attenborough has great passion and appreciation for wildlife in general and especially for the amazing wildlife and great beasts of Africa.
Attenborough’s Career
Sir David Frederick Attenborough has crafted a wonderful career spanning 60 years. During that time, he has become the most renowned and experienced spokesperson for natural history. His collaboration with the BBC on the nine Life series is regarded as the one of the most significant presentations about the world’s natural habitats ever created.
With each film, Attenborough gains more credibility among scientists and the general public. From his Tribal Eye in 1975 through his latest book, Attenborough has documented amazing discoveries as well as accumulated research that has served as valuable resource material for textbooks and traveler interested in exploration.
His work with birds (Life of Birds, 1998) plants (The Private Life of Plants, 1998) and mammals (The Life of Mammals, 2002) are highly regarded by scientists and naturalists alike. Sir David also served as a consultant on movies about gorillas and chimpanzees. While Attenborough’s work is global by design, he has a special connection with Africa.
Attenborough has also narrated more than 50 episodes of Natural World for BBC. Since the turn of the century, he has campaigned about the effects of global warming. Sir David recently announced two more projects going forward. He worked with the Natural History Museum Adventure for a December 2013 production and will follow up with the Conquest of the Skies in 2014.
In 2014, Attenborough launched his six-part Africa series on BBC. The documentary series explores Africa and the “myriad of wildlife the continent contains: from elephants to meerkats; ostriches to crickets; leopards to rhinos. These breathtaking pictures show giraffes, chimps, flamingos and other African inhabitants.”
Anyone who viewed this series is sure to have a better understand of the magic that still exists in Africa. The series provides great insight into Africa’s environment and into the continent’s wildlife. The Guardian reviewed the series with high praise saying, “David Attenborough’s wildlife documentary manages to be both magisterial and entertaining – and with images as good as these, it packs an emotional punch too!”
The recorded images make the viewer understand the unique natural beauty and sheer wonder that can only be found in Africa. Sir David was named one of one of the Britain’s 100 most influential personalities in 2002. He belongs to a talented family, as his younger brother is director, producer and actor Richard Attenborough.
Sir David Attenborough’s work has made the public aware of the African continent and the dangers that Africa’s wildlife faces. He has been influential in raising public awareness that has led to aggressive conservation efforts and preservation of many endangered species. Thanks to Sir David’s work, we can all appreciate the wonder of Africa and appreciate how important it is to preserve the great wildlife that thrives on this stunning continent.
At Elsa’s Kopje we have enjoyed hosting David and his team a couple of times; including filming naked mole rats! The little creatures that create the puffy mini-volcanoes in the middle of the road.
