A departure from nature

David Attenborough announced his retirement today as an on-location presenter of the most marvellous hours of television EVER.

Such a sad day for British broadcasting - we will never see his like again! No-one but David could confront the "natives" in grainy black'n'white like he did.

No-one can ever keep hordes of truculent youth (and their parents) so enthralled at the sight of a hummingbird, or a whale shark, or a carnivorous chimp, or an elephant seal, or a naked mole-rat, or a shoal of sharks, or a lion, or a mistletoe, as he could...

"If Zoo Quest had a successor today, it would be called Zoo Idol. Viewers would vote on which chipmunk to airlift to safety and which one to leave to the jungle's hungry rattlesnakes. Only the cutest would survive."

The Guardian on David Attenborough's departure

Brilliant! Simply brilliant - and when I think of the substandard television that will probably follow after the demise of such a TV giant, I could cry.

The amazing Lyre Bird:

David Attenborough - Bird Sounds From The Lyre Bird

The desert blooms:

David Attenborough - Plant growth of tropical flowers in the desert