The British natural historian David Attenborough turns 100 today. It is likely no one has done more to make the non-human world more legible and loveable to mass audiences. Attenborough’s career as a host, starting with Zoo Quest in 1954, spans seven decades and nine documentary series. His influence on how several generations of people worldwide perceive ecology and conservation is unparalleled.

Yet that is also what has made his work and his efforts to communicate it so troublesome.