Broadcasting legend Sir David Attenborough has proven his unparalleled connection with the natural world remains undimmed, even within the confines of a major city. In an unusually personal new film for the BBC, the 99-year-old naturalist spent his 100th summer seeking out the secret wildlife thriving in the UK's capital.
An Intimate Urban Safari
The documentary, titled 'Wild London', will air on BBC One on New Year's Day at 6.30pm. It features Sir David more prominently in front of the camera than in many of his recent epic series, offering viewers a rare, intimate glimpse of his enduring rapport with animals. The film required a presenter willing to lie on damp grass after dark for hedgehogs, scale heights to hold a peregrine falcon chick, and patiently wait to gain the trust of wild foxes.
Director Joe Loncraine praised Attenborough's professionalism, noting that despite initial concerns about his age, the veteran broadcaster was enthusiastic about challenging scenes. "He's a 99-year-old man but I would say he's still one of the easiest TV presenters to work with," Loncraine said. The team captured remarkable 'two-shot' interactions where Sir David is seen gently cupping a tiny harvest mouse in west London, admiring reintroduced beavers in Ealing, and watching, enraptured, as young foxes played around his deckchair at dusk in Tottenham.
From Tube Pigeons to Parkland Beavers
The film's journey takes audiences from the iconic Natural History Museum, where emperor dragonflies were found, to the heights of Parliament for peregrines and the ancient oaks of Richmond Park. Attenborough exhibits equal enthusiasm for common urban creatures like tube-riding pigeons and leopard slugs as he does for beloved hedgehogs.
A central theme for Sir David was the powerful story of rewilding and nature restoration. He reflected on a lecture he attended aged ten by conservationist Grey Owl, who campaigned to save the Canadian beaver. Nearly nine decades later, Attenborough expressed awe at seeing Eurasian beavers, reintroduced to fenced wetlands in Ealing and Enfield, thriving in Europe's largest city. "If someone had told me when I first moved here that one day I would be watching wild beavers in London, I would've thought they were mad," he said in a piece to camera.
A Clear Message: Cities Need Nature
According to the filmmakers, Attenborough was adamant that the documentary carry a vital message. "The importance of appreciating nature wherever it is and making space for nature in urban environments is key for him," Loncraine explained. The film argues that people, and cities, need nature to be happy and healthy, emphasising the benefit of urban green spaces and the urgent need to protect and expand them.
The documentary concludes with an elegiac scene in Richmond Park, a place of great personal significance to Attenborough. As for whether this marks his presenting swansong, Loncraine was cautious: "Anyone who makes the bet that this is his last would be foolish." For now, viewers can enjoy a unique testament to one man's lifelong passion, revealing the wild heart beating within London's bustling streets.
