Attenborough: Animal world’s got it right... let women lead
FOR decades, his wildlife documentaries have taught us all about nature’s secrets.
But Sir David Attenborough believes there’s one lesson we still need to learn from the animal kingdom – giving more power to the female of the species.
The broadcaster and naturalist, 92, said he wants to see more women take on roles of power in society to mirror what he sees in the wild.
Sir David narrates new BBC wildlife documentary Dynasties – which highlights the fact that many females in the animal kingdom prove more useful than the males. He said: ‘If you restrict it to mammals, then by and large it is true. Bull elephants, for example, don’t stick with the family. The females have all the wisdom. They bring up all the kids, they deal with the problems of drought and so on.
‘The males dash around, trumpeting and copulating whenever they get the chance.’
Speaking to Radio Times, he also credited the development of the contraceptive pill for giving women more options and ‘changing’ society. Asked whether he was keen to see more women in positions of influence, Sir David said: ‘Yes, I guess so, but we do have a female prime minister, and you have some women in Fleet Street who are fairly powerful.
‘I think it depends on all kinds of things. One of the reasons society is changing so much is the development of the Pill.
‘The huge dominant fact among mammals is how you rear the young. Now we have ways of dealing with that. The responsibility of producing the next generation is now optional.’ Dynasties starts on BBC1 on Sunday at 8.30pm.