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David Attenborough's Pets

Does David Attenborough Have Any Pets?

Fire Salamander (Amphibian)

Breed: Salamander | Adopted May 1934

Sir David Attenborough has been fascinated with animals his whole life. His first pet was a Fire Salamander which was a gift for his eighth birthday from his dad.

Siamese Cat (Cat)

Breed: Siamese | Adopted 1962

Sir David Attenborough had a Siamese Cat in the 1960s

Bush Babies (Monkey)

Breed: Bush Baby

Sir David Attenborough used to have a breeding colony of bush babies, also known as Galagos, at his home. In a 2013 interview with Metro, he said, “I had a breeding colony of bush babies. They’re supposed to be very difficult to breed but the problem is that people used to keep them in very clean conditions. The thing about a bush baby is that the male establishes its territory by peeing on his hands and putting it all on the walls. And after you’ve had a pair for about six months, you can see people coming into the house, sniffing and going: ‘Now, that’s definitely not mulligatawny soup.’”

David Attenborough's pet Exotic Animal Menagerie

Exotic Animal Menagerie

Sir David Attenborough used to have a menagerie of exotic animals in his home, due to his work with zoos. This included chimpanzees, gibbons, lemurs, snakes, chameleons, hummingbirds, and more.

Newts (Amphibian)

Breed: Newt

Sir David Attenborough started working with zoos at 11 years old, when he made a deal with the zoology department at Leicester University College. His deal was he’d supply the college with newts he caught, which they’d pay him 3 pence each.

Poison Dart Frogs (Amphibian)

Breed: Poison Dart Frogs

Sir David Attenborough used to have red poison dart frogs as pets. When asked about them in a 2021 interview with Express, he said, “I’ve had them in the past, a few years ago when the house had more animals in it than there are now!” and “They have glands in their skin that produce a poison, and they are used by the local [indigenous] people, who kill them and extract that poison to put in their blowpipe darts.”

David Attenborough

David Attenborough Pets

Birthday

May 8, 1926 (97)

Links (Tags)

Media Personality

Sir David Attenborough is one of the world’s most renowned naturalists and broadcasters. His career has spanned more than five decades and has seen him produce, write, and present some of the most iconic nature documentaries of all time.

He first came to prominence in the 1950s when he produced and presented the BBC’s ‘Zoo Quest’ series. This was followed by the ‘Life on Earth’ series in the 1970s, which was one of the first to use modern filming techniques and technologies. Since then, he has produced and presented dozens of other BBC series, including ‘The Living Planet’, ‘The Trials of Life’, and ‘Blue Planet’.

In addition to his work as a broadcaster, David Attenborough has also worked with many of the world’s leading celebrities. He has collaborated with Hollywood stars such as Morgan Freeman and Leonardo DiCaprio on various projects. He has also been involved in wildlife conservation efforts with the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Judi Dench, and David Beckham.