CHRIS: STOP HATING RATS
The TV star, 59, is convinced we need rats and critters because they help the ecosystem.
And he blames shows like I’m A Celebrity for demonising them.
He said: “Cockroaches aren’t bad. Rats aren’t bad. It’s always those animals which are perceived to be horrible
– the rats and the cockroaches.
“What we have to remember is every one of these animals has a valuable role to play in generating sustainable communities in their natural environment.
“They can just be a nuisance if we allow them to get in the wrong place.”
The Springwatch presenter has spent years urging TV bosses to stop portraying them as disgusting.
He said: “The problem with programmes like I’m A Celebrity is stereotyping of those animals.
“It’s one of those things where we need to update our ideas. ITV needs to think, ‘You know what, this isn’t appropriate for the 21st Century… abusing animals in this way and portraying them in a negative way.’”
In 2019, Chris was among the campaigners who convinced I’m A Celebrity bosses to stop using live animals in eating trials. And he reckons it would be just as entertaining without any animals.
He said: “I would like to see their use in trials cease immediately. I don’t think that we should be living in an age where animals are used for entertainment.”
Chris is the narrator on new show Cecil: The Lion King.
It’s part of National Geographic WILD’s Big Chat Week, which starts tomorrow.
RATTED OUT: Chris wants TV to stop picking on pests
YOU might find yourself doing a double or even triple take at these snaps.
The animals look very wild indeed thanks to some camera trickery.
Photographers around the world have managed to pull off some eye-popping optical illusions.
They include amazing shots of giraffes in Kenya and zebras in Tanzania. Flamingos, lions, deer and birds get in on the fun too.
Nature fan Sagar Gosavi photographed the giraffes in Kenya and was amazed at the results.
He said the long-necked creatures resembled “the three-headed dragon which I have seen in many Hollywood movies”.