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DAVID ATTENBOROUGH HAS been in the news for other reasons in recent days – on Friday, the British government named a €250 million polar research vessel after the veteran naturalist and broadcaster (poor old ‘Boaty McBoatface’ lost out).

By now something of an international national treasure, the much-loved presenter also celebrates his 90th birthday today.

Though he’s decades past bus pass-collecting age, Attenborough says he has no intention of retiring anytime soon.

“You never tire of the natural world. Putting your feet up is all very well,” he told the UK’s Independent in an interview this week.

But it’s very boring, isn’t it?

BBC BBC

The broadcaster’s life and times will be celebrated in a special programme on BBC One this evening at 7pm – with the likes of Michael Palin and Chris Packham dropping by to share moments from his career.

But if you have a few minutes to spare this Sunday morning, check out a clip from one of his earliest appearances, fronting a programme called Zoo Quest – a joint production with London Zoo.

Attenborough’s team had gone to Indonesia in search of the fearsome Komodo Dragon. A little frantic at times, the trapping mission goes more or less to plan.

But as the (very) fresh-faced presenter explains at the end of the segment, they hit a bit of a snag after filming concluded…

Read: What is the one species of animal David Attenborough ‘never thinks about’?

Read: 9 reasons why David Attenborough should be reading you a bedtime story