How old is David Attenborough? Naturalist and Our Planet narrator admits he doesn’t have long to live

29 April 2019, 11:10

David Attenborough recently spoke out about not having long left to live
David Attenborough recently spoke out about not having long left to live. Picture: Getty

Renowned documentary-maker David Attenborough is urging the public to tackle climate change in his new documentary

David Attenborough recently opened up about not having long to live as he urged the public to make tackling climate change.

The Our Planet host told former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres: “I don’t spend time thinking about that because I can’t bear it.

“I’m just coming up to 93, and so I don’t have many more years around here. I find it difficult to think beyond that because the signs aren’t good.”

David Attenborough has urged the public to tackle climate change in his new documentary
David Attenborough has urged the public to tackle climate change in his new documentary. Picture: Getty

He added: “My generation is no great example for understanding – we have done terrible things.”

How old is David Attenborough?

He was born on 8 May 1926, making him 92 at the time of writing.

What has David Attenborough said about the climate change protests?

Speaking about the recent spout of climate change protests, he said: “[They] understand the simple discoveries of science about our dependence upon the natural world.

“Young people may lack experience but they also have clear sight. They can see perhaps more clearly than the rest of us who have been around for some time."

Extinction Rebellion erected a cardboard cut-out of David Attenborough during their London protests
Extinction Rebellion erected a cardboard cut-out of David Attenborough during their London protests. Picture: Getty

He described the recent movement as “encouraging”, adding: “That is the one big reason I have for feeling we are making progress. If we were not making progress with young people, we are done."

What is David Attenborough's new Netflix series Our Planet?

Attenborough's new series Our Planet is currently on Netflix, and it was created by the same team behind Frozen Planet and Blue Planet.

David Attenborough at the launch of Our Planet
David Attenborough at the launch of Our Planet. Picture: Getty

The series, which took over four years to make, is set in 50 countries.

What is David Attenborough's net worth?

His net worth is estimated to be around £24 billion.

He is one of the BBC's top earners, and declared a £1.3 million pre-tax income in 2015.

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