Desmond Morris, the acclaimed zoologist and television presenter, has died at the age of 98.
His son, Jason, paid tribute to a “lifetime of exploration, curiosity and creativity”.
Morris, who hosted the popular programme Zoo Time, rose to international fame in 1967 with his groundbreaking book The Naked Ape, an international bestseller.
Away from his media career, Morris was also a surrealist painter – a sideline that was explored in the 2017 BBC documentary The Secret Surrealist.
Jason Morris said: "A zoologist, manwatcher, author and artist, he was still writing and painting right up until his death. He was a great man and an even better father and grandfather."
Morris was born in Wiltshire on 24 January 1928 and developed an interest in natural history and writing as a young child.
He studied zoology at the University of Birmingham and the University of Oxford.
In 1956, Morris moved to London to work as head of the Granada TV and Film Unit for the Zoological Society of London and began hosting Zoo Time.
He also scripted and hosted 100 episodes of the show Life in the Animal World for BBC2.
His later work included the series The Human Race, Man Watching, The Animals Road Show and The Human Animal.
