Sir David Attenborough has delighted a young fan by responding to her letter about her pet insect, which she named 'Sir David Stickenborough'. The veteran broadcaster and naturalist wrote back to the girl, thanking her for her interest and gently correcting her on the species of her pet.
The girl's father, Darren Logan, shared the exchange on Twitter, posting a photo of the insect alongside the letter. In his tweet, he wrote: 'My daughter named her new pet, Sir David Stickenborough, after her hero. She wrote to tell him this. Obviously he responded. Sir David is getting renamed, apparently, but my daughter’s fascination with nature has been reinforced.'
In his letter, Sir David expressed his delight at the girl's interest in stick insects, noting that he also kept them as a child. He explained that there are at least 2,500 species worldwide, most from the tropics. However, he clarified that her pet was not a stick insect but a leaf insect, belonging to the group Phasmatioidea.
The broadcaster went on to describe the diversity of leaf insects, noting that many species have outgrowths on their legs that resemble leaves. The letter has since gone viral on Twitter, amassing over 63,000 likes, with many users praising Sir David's kindness and generosity.
