Iconic BBC wildlife presenter dies aged 95 as devastated colleagues pay tribute

Lorraine Kelly penned a heartwarming tribute to BBC broadcaster Tony Soper. The former BBC wildlife TV presenter, author and naturalist has died aged 95.

Tony co-founded the BBC's Natural History Unit, which began in Bristol in 1957 and has since produced countless wildlife programmes around the world. The BBC Natural History Unit is known worldwide for television series such as Planet Earth.

He was a wildlife camera operator, and a film producer and went on to present many TV shows, including Birdwatch and Beside the Sea. Tony, who is survived by his wife Hilary, his sons, and five grandchildren, died on September 18.

His colleagues have since taken to social media and penned touching tributes to the beloved presenter.

Stephen Moss said: "Very sad news - Tony Soper, a huge influence on generations of birders and broadcasters, who I had the huge privilege of working with and getting to know, has died aged 95. The last person who was there at the start of the BBC Natural History Unit. A lovely man."

Lorraine shared the message and penned her own tribute, writing: "On one of my very first shows presenting on TVam - this wonderful kind man came on to talk about his book on OWLS. He was a joy and a delight."

Another person commented: "Sad news, one of my favourite shows growing up was Wildtrack, presented by Tony and Sue Ingle... I still remember the theme tune!"

A third agreed: "Yes, he was always 'the' nature TV person when I was a child."

Another shared: "Sad to hear this. He was one of the lovely wholesome folk I felt I knew through the telly of childhood. He's had a powerful positive influence on so many of us. Let's try to keep that enthusiasm and those values alive."

Mr Soper was born in Southampton in 1929 and brought up in Plymouth, where he started his career at the corporation as a trainee engineer in 1947.

He subsequently pursued a career leading wildlife cruises to the Arctic and Antarctica, writing a multitude of books about wildlife in the UK and further afield.

In the 1980s he devised and anchored the live television Birdwatch programmes (the forerunner of Springwatch), and presented the film series Discovering Birds and Beside the Sea.