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David Attenborough returns to apes
Louise Jury, Chief Arts Correspondent9 Sep 2008
Sir David Attenborough is to host the charity premiere of a film chronicling the lives of the mountain gorillas with whom he was famously filmed for Life On Earth.
The TV zoologist will present Titus, The Gorilla King, to raise money for The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International which helps the primates.
He is hosting the event partly because of their impact on his career and partly to fulfil a promise made to Ms Fossey, the conservationist who was already working with the animals when Sir David visited their homeland in Rwanda in 1978.
"I suppose I owe a lot to the gorillas. I appear more often on television with a gorilla than anything else," Sir David said. "That sequence was a very powerful event in my life. I bond with gorillas from that point of view, although it was a long time ago and I've not been back."
Sir David spent a week filming with the help of Dian Fossey and pledged his support for her work. "I promised her that I would do what I could to start a fund and help protect them."
The body he helped set up is now part of The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.
The Gorilla King, which will be eventually seen on the BBC, tells the story of one particular ape, Titus. His life has been recorded since he was two days old in 1974 by researcher Kelly Stewart, daughter of the film star James Stewart.
In the following decades, Titus's father was murdered by poachers, his mother abandoned him and his sister was killed by another gorilla.
The film is told by researchers and conservationists through footage and eyewitness reports of Titus taken from his days as a newborn to adulthood.
Sir David said he understood Titus was one of the animals he was filmed with. "I believe he's one of the small gorillas clambering over me."
The survival of the gorillas would benefit Rwanda by bringing in hard currency through tourism. "It's a goldmine," said Sir David.
Donors to the Fossey fund could be certain where the money was going. "Very often in the conservation field, you feel that you're dealing with such enormous problems that you can have very little impact but with gorillas we know exactly where they all are so you know that if you give £10, it's going to go to help precisely these gorillas."
He added: "They are very close to us so you feel personally responsible for them just as you would feel responsible for relatives."
The fundraiser at Bafta on Friday will include an auction of lots such as paintings produced by the gorillas. Stars including Miranda Richardson, Sean Hughes, Graeme Le Saux and Kevin Spacey have pledged to attend.
Reader views (1)
Excellent!
Thank you Sir David!
Thank you Louise!
- Herb Doughty, Berkeley CA USA, 12/09/2008 04:00
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