5 David Attenborough Documentaries To Change The World

5. Africa (2013)

A surprise addition to this list, perhaps, but while Africa dazzled us with images of its arid deserts, lush jungles and seasonal savannahs, its final episode does just enough to beat off strong competition from Our Planet and secure this series’ position on the list. Episode 6, The Future, sees Sir David hone in on the environmental issues faced by Africa and its spectacular biodiversity.

We saw the effects of poaching, habitat loss, climate change and human population growth, but importantly, we were made privy to the conservation efforts being made to combat them. Projects designed to preserve threatened species, such as the Mountain Gorilla, and the Maasai tribe’s commitment to defusing human/lion conflict gave us hope that a healthy coexistence can be struck.

None, though, made an impact like the final ten minutes of this episode during which Sir David ‘conversed’ with an inquisitive, blind baby rhinoceros called Nicky. It was an exchange that simultaneously warmed hearts and, more pressingly, demonstrated the fragility of the natural world. That message remains to this day; hope is kindle but we must act to help those with even the toughest hides.