Sir David Attenborough reinforces national treasure status with letter to young fan who named her pet insect after him-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro

Sir David made his supporter’s day with a response from her ‘hero’ (Picture: Danny Martindale/WireImage/Twitter)

Sir David Attenborough has warmed hearts once more with his sweet and detailed response to a young fan who named her pet insect after him.

Sir David Stickenborough now has the distinction of being known of personally by its veteran environmentalist namesake – and an educator through and through, Sir David even took the time to share some of his knowledge with the girl who wrote to him to introduce her pet.

Her father shared the incident on Twitter on Saturday, posting a photo of Sir David Stickenborough in his owner’s hand, alongside the signed letter from its 96-year-old inspiration.

‘My daughter named her new pet, Sir David Stickenborough, after her hero. She wrote to tell him this,’ he explained, adding: ‘Obviously he responded.’

Referencing content in the letter, where the Planet Earth star took the time to correctly identify the insect’s correct species, he continued: ‘Sir David is getting renamed, apparently, but my daughter’s fascination with nature has been reinforced. #NationalTreasure’

Sir David, who in June was awarded the rare honour of the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George, responded on headed paper with his production company’s address, in correspondence dated on Tuesday 6 September, where he thanked his young admirer for her original letter.

Sir David corresponded with his young fan this week (Picture: Getty)

‘I am so glad you’re interested in stick insects. I am too and, when I was your age I also kept some. They are indeed fascinating,’ he went on, in response.

Dropping some of the knowledge for which he has become so beloved, Sir David wrote: ‘There are at least 2,500 different species worldwide. Most come from tropics and only a few species ever reach this country. Scientifically speaking they belong to a group called the Phasmatoidea which contains two main groups – the leaf insects and the stick insects.

‘Stick insects really do look exactly like thin green sticks and are almost impossible to spot in the wild – unless they move. They don’t, in fact, move much during the day but quite a lot during the night. The kind that is usually brought over here are nearly [always] females and lay eggs that are fertile without having being [sic] fertilised by the male. The eggs look exactly like their droppings and sometimes people who keep them don’t know this and throw them away when they are cleaning out their cages.’

The renowned naturalist has enjoyed a career spanning decades (Picture: Times Newspapers/REX/Shutterstock)

Sir David Stickenborough, soon to be renamed (Picture: Twitter/darrenlogan)

Gently correcting his supporter’s identification of her stick insect, he explained: ‘The one of which you sent me a photograph, however is not, however [sic] a stick insect. It’s a leaf insect. There are many, many different species of these as well. They vary in the food they prefer and many eat other kinds of leaves than the hawthorn and bramble which you say yours prefer.

‘Many of them are even more like leaves than yours are, with outgrowths on their legs that look exactly like leaves.’

Sir David then signed off his reply with best wishes to his fan and promptly went viral for once again proving what a delightful human being he is.

Then Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, meeting a giant stick insect, showing the difference between these two species (Picture: Arthur Edwards/POOL/AFP)

‘David Attenborough is the best possible person,’ responded one fellow fan, while another (correctly) wrote: ‘Sir David really is a treasure.’

‘Such a class act. How does it feel to live my childhood dreams life?’ asked one supporter.

Others were agreed on a particular response to poring over the letter.

‘I read the letter and my head automatically had it in the voice of David Attenborough. Nice of him to take the time,’ shared one person.

Many fans were reading the letter out in the broadcaster’s well-known dulcet tones (Picture: Keystone/Getty Images)

‘I defy you to read the letter and *not* hear his voice in your head,’ added another.

Fellow fans of Sir David also revealed their excellent correspondence with the esteemed TV icon.

One explained: ‘David Attenborough still the most amazing fan mail recipient I have ever seen. Around New Years a couple of years ago I’d sent him a letter and had my pictures back signed in two days.

He paid tribute to the Queen following her death on Thursday (Picture: Getty)

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‘Impossibly, I had used second class stamps. And he must get mountains of letters. Phenomenal.’

On Friday, Sir David paid moving tribute to the Queen following her death aged 96 at Balmoral Castle on Thursday afternoon, noting both her dedication and sense of humour as he remarked that ‘the whole nation is bereaved’.

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