Chris Packham's Animal Attack Scars and Jeremy Clarkson Feud Exposed
Television presenter Chris Packham has openly discussed the terrifying incidents that left him with numerous scars across his body, including bites from lions and cheetahs. The naturalist, best known for co-hosting the BBC's Springwatch and Winterwatch alongside Michaela Strachan and Iolo Williams, confessed that he has been 'attacked' by various wild animals throughout his career.
A Career Marked by Wildlife Encounters
Before fronting Springwatch, the 54-year-old broadcaster faced dangerous wildlife in earlier series like the BAFTA-winning children's programme The Really Wild Show, which aired from 1986 to 1995. Packham also worked extensively as a wildlife cinematographer for BBC and Channel 4 productions, including Wild Shots, Go Wild (Live), and Animal Zone.
His lengthy profession has not been without significant hazards, resulting in multiple animal bites that have permanently scarred his body. In an interview with Metro, Packham recounted: 'You don’t want to be attacked by an animal, but you frequently do. I’ve got plenty of scars... a lot of them have healed now.'
He specifically described several injuries: 'That was a vulture that pecked me. This was the claw of a lion. Here was a little scar where I actually pricked myself with a puff adder [snake] fang.' Packham added, 'And then I’ve got scars on my back from where a cheetah grabbed hold of me because I was running away from it. Obviously, I’m not quite as fast!'
Complex Relationship with Jeremy Clarkson
This revelation follows Packham's candid comments about his true feelings towards former Top Gear host turned farmer Jeremy Clarkson, noting Clarkson's 'changing views'. Despite their well-publicised differences and numerous verbal clashes, Packham insists he bears no hatred towards Clarkson.
The two public figures, aged 64 and 65 respectively, have frequently opposed each other on issues concerning the British countryside, from conservation efforts to farming practices. However, Packham clarified that public perception of their relationship starkly contrasts with reality.
Rather than despising Clarkson, the Winterwatch star revealed they have actually 'worked together', finding the Clarkson's Farm presenter 'hospitable' and 'like himself'. Packham told the Telegraph: 'Everybody expects me to hate Jeremy. But we worked together and he was extraordinarily hospitable. And he's like myself. He sometimes sees the need to antagonise a situation to promote a conversation. In recent times, we've seen him swinging more in my direction.'
Environmental Advocacy and Broadcasting Criticism
Since Clarkson assumed control of his farm, Diddly Squat, in 2019, he has become increasingly vocal about agricultural issues affecting UK farmers. He has addressed topics like bovine TB's impact on his farm, the importance of purchasing local produce, supporting British farming, and challenges posed by extreme weather patterns.
Meanwhile, Packham, who has presented Springwatch since its 2009 inception, consistently uses his platform to emphasise environmental protection. He criticised the BBC, broadcaster of Springwatch and its spin-offs, for not being 'as forthright' as he hoped in supporting environmental causes.
Packham continued to the Telegraph: 'It's a dereliction of duty not to be informing people of the gravity of the situation...' In 2024, he urged younger generations to 'fight back' against 'buffoons' like Clarkson, following claims that The Grand Tour host bought a 'gas-guzzling' Range Rover 'just to spite' him.
Range Rover Controversy and Climate Debate
Clarkson allegedly purchased the environmentally unfriendly SUV after 'Chris Packham said something annoying on television', as he told The Daily Star in February 2024. Initially planning to buy a Land Rover with a 'smallish diesel engine', Clarkson 'cancelled' the order in a 'hot internal walnut of spite', aiming to 'annoy' and 'punish' the Springwatch star by opting for a 'Range Rover with a V8 that produces more carbon dioxides than India'.
Clarkson added he found it 'comforting to know that by talking about the environment Packham has actually made it a little worse.' Packham retaliated by branding Clarkson a 'buffoon' in Saga Magazine, calling his 'spiteful' decision 'betrays such a tragic ignorance it has an almost comedic value'.
This Range Rover dispute represents the latest episode in their apparent ongoing feud. Packham previously launched a furious tirade against Clarkson after the outspoken presenter expressed dissatisfaction with Sir David Attenborough's latest Planet Earth series. Packham told the magazine: 'I got a Google alert last night saying Jeremy Clarkson had been thinking about buying a Land Rover with a relatively small engine. But then he'd seen me on TV saying something which offended him - probably something positive about the environment - so he'd bought a five-litre, gas-guzzling, twin turbo-charged Range Rover just to spite Chris Packham.'
Youth Engagement and Environmental Messaging
The Winterwatch presenter emphasised the climate crisis as an 'existential problem' that is 'so big that it's beyond us as individuals to do anything'. However, he stressed that 'every single one of us has the capacity to do something positive' and encouraged younger people to consider their individual 'impact' on the environment.
Often regarded as Sir David Attenborough's successor, Packham argued that today's generation, influenced by platforms like TikTok, requires a 'young person' to inspire environmental activism. 'We don't need another David, we need another person on social media doing the same job and that isn't going to be me - it's going to be a young person,' he stated.
Packham, who describes himself as a 'very angry young man', urged youth to channel their anger about climate change into positive action. Their spat intensified in November 2023 when Packham used social media to attack Clarkson for sharing mixed reviews of Planet Earth in his Sun column. On X, Packham referenced Clarkson's notorious past comments about Meghan Markle, writing: 'Not content with fantasies of throwing s**t over members of the royal family he now slams the world's greatest broadcaster and the man who has done more than anyone has or ever will to protect life on earth . . . What a massive c**kchafer'.
Clarkson had criticised Attenborough's latest BBC series, expressing that while the photography was 'brilliant' and 'spellbinding', he found the script 'insane'. He wrote: 'Now all we ever get is, 'Here's a see-through fish with an orange stomach, and its future is threatened by climate change' and then it's: 'Here's something with pointy teeth and soon it will be wiped out by global warming.' We know already. So please, in future, tell us about the animals, not the b****y weather.'
