RIP Terry Nutkins (naturalist / presenter / author)

[Mollys Dad]

Terence Paul Nutkins (12 August 1946 – 6 September 2012) was an English naturalist, television presenter and author. He was best known for his television appearances, notably in the UK children's programmes Animal Magic, The Really Wild Show, Brilliant Creatures and Growing Up Wild.

Terry Nutkins was born in Marylebone, London, and spent most of his childhood there.^[2] He even skipped school to spend time with the elephants at London Zoo. Aged 12, Nutkins moved to Scotland. At 15, he lost part of two fingers to an otter named Edal while working for the Scottish naturalist Gavin Maxwell,^[3] who became his legal guardian in order that Nutkins could stay with him.^[4] He revisited the site of the cottage he shared with Maxwell on the BBC's Countryfile programme in 2010.

In the 1980s, Nutkins was co-presenter of the BBC children's television series Animal Magic with Johnny Morris, whom he describes as his second mentor after Maxwell.^[2] He is perhaps best remembered on the show for segments with Gemini, the California sea lion he had hand-reared from infancy. Animal Magic's run ended in 1983 and a year later Nutkins was asked to put together a new animal series, which resulted in The Really Wild Show which he presented from 1986 to 1993. In 1999, he inherited a large portion of Johnny Morris's estate.^[5]

Nutkins was also instrumental in the restoration of the historic Fort Augustus Abbey on the shores of Loch Ness.^[6]

In 2004, he appeared on Living TV's reality television show I'm Famous and Frightened!, and he featured in the 2007 Comic Relief video. In April 2009, Nutkins co-presented and narrated My Life as an Animal, a BBC Three programme where young professionals and media personalities lived life as animals for four days, sharing living areas, food and sleeping with several farm and zoo animals. More recently Nutkins made an appearance on the BBC's Winterwatch programme (a spin off from Springwatch) talking about how otters had survived the harsh January of 2012.

Nutkins was a keen beekeeper and a member of the British Beekeepers' Association.^[7]

In 2009, a bust of Nutkins was sculpted by Nick Roberson.^[8]

Death

Nutkins died on 6 September 2012, aged 66.^[9] He had been receiving treatment for the past nine months for acute leukaemia.^[10] He died at his home in Glenelg, Scotland and is survived by his wife, eight children and eight grandchildren.^[11]

(details shamelessly stolen from wiki...)

[Emma]

Noooo! I remember watching him on 'the really wild show' as a kid. What a sad time. R I P Terry Nutkins

[Mollys Dad]

Another part of my childhood gone but the memories remain

[Val (Zebedee)]

I remember him on Animal Magic with Johnnie Morris - a real fun way to learn about animals. Another gone too soon, RIP, Terry

[Leyka&Diva]

he was a legend r.i.p xx

[Mollys Dad]

I remember him on Animal Magic with Johnnie Morris - a real fun way to learn about animals. Another gone too soon, RIP, Terry

That's where I remember him from too