Legendary BBC presenter and zoologist Desmond Morris dies at 98, is he married, do they have children?
Desmond Morris presented the TV show Zoo Time from 1956 to 1967.
Tributes have been paid to legendary BBC presenter Desmond Morris following his death at 98, as well as his book The Naked Ape, Desmond Morris was best known for hosting the TV programme Zoo Time from 1956 until 1967.
Desmond Morris’s son Jason paid tribute to him and said: “His was a lifetime of exploration, curiosity and creativity. 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.”
Desmond Morris passed away in Ireland, he had been living there since his wife, Ramona passed away in 2018. In an interview with The Guardian last year, Desmond Morris spoke about his wife and why he was allowing the film (starring his wife) Time Flower he made when he was at Birmingham University to be shown for the first time since the 1950s.
Desmond Morris said: “My pursuit of Ramona in the film is symbolic of my pursuit of her in real life,” and added that“The film was inspired by the love story of my life. We stayed together as a couple until she died at the age of 88 in 2018.”
In an interview with The Times, Desmond Morris spoke about travelling and revealed that “I have never been camping. I can’t think of anything worse. I like small hotels, although an occasional stay at a grand hotel like Raffles in Singapore is a decadent luxury I enjoy — order a Singapore sling in the Long Bar, where the drink was created in 1915. I’m also fond of the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles, where they filmed Pretty Woman.”
Desmond Morris was born in Purton, Wiltshire in 1928. He graduated with a zoology degree from Birmingham University and went on to complete a doctorate in animal behaviour at the University of Oxford. When it came to his career, he was head of the Granada TV and Film Unit for the Zoological Society of London.
In 1967, he wrote The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal.m In July 1952, Morris married Ramona Baulch and the couple had one son together, Jason. In December 2024, the Facebook page for British Film Location Spotters Club wrote: “Presenter Desmond Morris filming an episode of popular TV programme Zoo Time at Whipsnade Zoo in May 1957. The show, which ran from 1956-68, was usually broadcast from Regent's Park Zoo, London, but occasional editions came live from Whipsnade.
“Zoologist and author Morris will be 97 in January. Since his wife's death six years ago, he has lived with his son and family in Ireland.
“His most well-known book is The Naked Ape, published in 1967.”
In August 2023, the Facebook page Seahorse Aquariums wrote: “Very special guest, Desmond Morris visited the Dublin store yesterday. Zoologist, ethologist and surrealist painter, as well as a top selling author. Morris is known for his 1967 book The Naked Ape, and for his television programmes such as Zoo Time.
“Thank you for stopping by to visit!”