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Sir David Attenborough has revealed the moment of his career he will 'never forget' as he takes a look back over eight decades on screen ahead of his 100th birthday next month.
The legendary natural historian will dive into one of his most-watched documentaries in new Netflix special, A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough - opening up on the life-changing moment that was 'never supposed to happen'.
Sir David who has been presenting natural history shows on the BBC and beyond since 1954, is no stranger to travelling far and wide to showcase some of wildlife's most interesting and curious moments.
And in 1978, the broadcaster travelled to Rwanda for a segment filmed for his show Life On Earth, where he was seen meeting a group of gorillas, including an up-close encounter with baby gorilla, Pablo.
David will take a dive back into the encounter in the Netflix special, opening up that meeting Pablo is a moment from his career he will 'never forget' as he reads from his own personal diaries written at the time.
Reading from the diary in the one-off show, which has been made available to stream today, David recalls the details of the moment he came face to face with Pablo.
Sir David Attenborough has revealed the moment of his career he will 'never forget' as he takes a look back over eight decades on screen ahead of his 100th birthday next month
The legendary natural historian will dive into one of his most-watched documentaries in new Netflix special, A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough - opening up on the life-changing moment that was 'never supposed to happen'
He admitted that the encounter was never 'supposed to happen' as they had originally travelled to Rwanda to film a small segment on opposable thumbs, before it was revealed they could meet with the gorillas.
David reads from his diary to viewers: 'We start the one-and-a-half-hour walk up the mountain. Slowly the nondescript bush transforms into the high altitude rainforest.
'Long-branched trees loaded with cushions of epiphytes. Green ribbon-leaved ferns with wispy pallid Spanish moss everywhere.
'We found a group of females and juveniles in a small clearing and to my astonishment, they allowed me to approach.'
Recalling the moment he met the gorillas, David continues: 'I had to pause and exchange a deep-throated grunt. The reassurance noise meaning, "I'm here".'
Footage of David sitting alongside baby gorilla Pablo will play out, seeing the young ape cuddling up to the natural historian, and playing alongside him.
David continues to fans: 'What I don't say there is that this wasn't supposed to be a film of meeting gorillas directly.
'The function of the sequence was the importance of the thumb and forefinger, the opposable thumb and forefinger. We didn't think we were going to be in touch with them.
'I turned to look back at the camera, I felt a weight on my feet and I looked down, and there was little Pablo. I couldn't talk about the evolution of the thumb and forefinger; I just sit back and let it happen.
He admitted that the encounter was never 'supposed to happen' as they had originally travelled to Rwanda to film a small segment on opposable thumbs, before it was revealed they could meet with the gorillas.
'Look at this lovely little creature. Absolutely engaging, you want to hug him. Just sheer bliss, really. Many people would think it was the most important sequence in that series, if not in my filmed life.'
'I will never forget him or the impact he had on me,' David concluded of Pablo.
It comes after BBC viewers were full of praise for Sir David's 'spellbinding' new documentary as he returned to screens over the weekend.
Secret Garden sees the presenter reveal the drama unfolding on Britain's very own gardens, and the wildlife we can spot around the country.
The five-part series launched earlier this month, first taking to Oxfordshire to look at the plants and animals on the grounds of a thousand-year-old mill.
The episode followed home owners Henry and Sara, who were forced to let the majority of the land around their mill house run wild to protect wildlife on the tributary of the River Thames.
It means the garden, which regularly faces the threat of flooding, features a wide range of wildlife including kingfishers, mallards and otters.
The episode saw David narrate the action as a kingfisher battles to save his family from rising water, a duck keeps her nine ducklings alive and a vole learns to avoid the dangers of the lawn mower.
A synopsis of the episode teases: 'Through the eyes of Henry and Sara, beautiful cinematography and immersive storytelling, this episode reveals the astonishing resilience of Britain's garden wildlife in the face of unpredictable change.'
'It is a celebration of how leaving nature to its own devices can turn an ordinary patch of land into a hugely rich and highly rewarding wildlife refuge.'
Fans were left 'spellbound' by the episode and took to social media to flood it with praise, calling it the 'perfect' watch for the whole family over the Easter holiday.
One wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'Absolutely fabulous filming on Sir David Attenborough's Secret Garden. Amazing Spring river scenes with Doris the Mallard and her river neighbours. Spellbinding!'
Another chimed in to agree: 'Perfect Sunday viewing', as a third said: 'What a wonderful programme for a Spring Easter Sunday evening.'
'Such amazing photography as well as David Attenborough narration - food for the soul for a Sunday evening,' someone else added, while a fifth penned: 'Watching the new David Attenborough documentary, hard to believe he's 100 next month.'
Before the release of the new documentary series, the makers of Secret Garden revealed how much it meant to David to complete the series ahead of his 100th birthday.
Producer Bill Markham told The Mirror: 'As Sir David Attenborough approaches his 100th birthday, having him narrate the series feels both momentous and deeply fitting.
'The first question anyone asks when you're making a wildlife programme is whether he's involved - and for good reason.
'Over the past seventy years, he has come to define the genre. For many of us, his films were the spark that set us on this path, so working on Secret Garden at this moment feels particularly special. His involvement has had a profound effect on the production.
'As a team, we've undoubtedly raised our standards, mindful that every frame and every line of script would be subject to his careful attention. That knowledge alone has sharpened our focus and ambition.'
It comes after it was revealed that the BBC is set to celebrate to mark Sir David's 100th birthday with three new shows and a week of broader special programming.
The corporation will mark the broadcasting icon's 'extraordinary milestone' on May 8 with a mix of new and old series by the legendary natural historian.
One of the new programmes, titled Making Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure, will go behind the scenes of the namesake landmark BBC One series.
First broadcast in 1979, the show followed Sir David as he travelled to 40 countries to film 600 species.
The retrospective will feature new interviews with the wildlife broadcaster and original crew members as they reflect on the production of the old Life on Earth show.
They will examine the challenges they faced along the way, including a coup in the Comoros, off the east coast of Africa, and being shot at.
Sir David also went on a meaningful visit to endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda in the course of making the programme.
Filmed across the UK, the show will capture the rich diversity of life in the UK's back gardens -and examine how the public can help save struggling species.
He will also appear in David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth, a live event from the Royal Albert Hall, featuring the BBC Concert Orchestra and special guests.
The week will also see special episodes broadcast from Sir David's most-loved series, including his most recent film,Wild London.
Viewers will also be able to enjoy instalments from Planet Earth II , Blue Planet II , Planet Earth III , Frozen Planet II , and Seven Worlds , One Planet .
A dedicated collection of 40 of Sir David's most-loved programmes will also be made available on iPlayer .
The presenter's legendary career spans more than seven decades , which has seen his voice become synonymous with natural history shows across the world .
Jack Bootle , head of commissioning for specialist factual at the BBC , said : 'It's impossible to overstate what Sir David Attenborough has given us .
'His programmes have not only defined science and natural history broadcasting , but they have also changed how we see our planet and our place within it .
'This special week is a celebration of an extraordinary milestone and of a body of work that continues to inspire awe , curiosity and care for the natural world .
'It's also a moment for all of us at the BBC to say thank you to David - for his generosity , for his brilliance and for a lifetime spent bringing the wonders of nature into our homes .'
Sir David's latest project ,Wild London, which was released in January , saw the natural historian explore the wildlife of the city he has lived in for 75 years .
The cameras followed pigeons commuting by tube , snakes on Regent’s Canal , a family of foxes living in the heart of Tottenham , and peregrines nesting along the Houses of Parliament .
This came after he narrated another natural history series , released by the BBC in November , called Kingdom .
The six-part show follows the real-life trials and tribulations of four African animal families in Zambia .
Filmed across five years , the incredible animals featured include leopards , hyenas , wild dogs and lions , as they fight for survival in their remote riverside home .
Both programmes were only the latest in an illustrious career , which saw the broadcaster win a Daytime Emmy Award in October last year .
Sir David's Netflix programme ,Secret Lives of Orangutans, picked up multiple accolades at the ceremony .
The presenter's legendary career spans out to more than seven decades , which has seen his voice become synonymous with natural history shows across the world .
They included outstanding music direction and composition and outstanding directing team for a single camera daytime non-fiction programme .
And in doing so ,the natural historian brokethe recordfor theo oldestrecipientof a Daytime Emmy Award .
Then 99 ,he surpassedDick Van Dyke ,who was 98 when he won agongatthe ceremonyfor t daytime drama seriesDays of Our Livesin2024 .
Van Dyke remains theo oldestactorto wina Daytime Emmy .
Earlier last year ,fans were left concernedSir Davidmight be stepping backfrom histimein frontof th camera ,as he revealedhe was 'nearingthe endof his life' .
He reflectedon his own mortalityas he discussedthe stateof th world's oceansin th filmOcean With David Attenborough ,which was releasedon his 99th birthday .
The natural historian remarked: 'When I first saw the sea as a young boy, it was thought of as a vast wilderness to be tamed and mastered for the benefit of humanity.
'Now, as I approach the end of my life, we know the opposite is true.
'After living for nearly a hundred years on this planet, I now understand that the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.'
A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough is available to stream on Netflix now.