Sir David Attenborough warns we have only a ‘few short years’ left to ‘urgently repair’ the natural world

Human beings only have a “few short years” left to “urgently repair our relationship with the natural world”, Sir David Attenborough has warned.

Speaking in a new documentary coming to BBC iPlayer, the 96-year-old naturalist and broadcaster, said we can “still make a choice” to help the world “recover”.

His new documentary Saving Our Wild Isles is about the people trying to combat the decline in nature, as well as looking at the wildlife and habitats at risk in the UK.

Sir David said the UK is “one of the most nature-depleted countries” in the world as one quarter of mammals and one third of birds are at risk of extinction.

The film has been funded by charities WWF, the National Trust and the RSPB and has been produced by Silverback Films – the team behind many of the BBC’s landmark nature shows.

It follows Sir David’s latest documentary series Wild Isles which showcases the natural wonders of the UK and Ireland - and comes to an end on Easter Sunday.

‘This starts and ends with us’

Saving Our Wild Isles looks at how a Suffolk farm is increasing biodiversity by planting wildflowers and restoring ponds, the impact of fishing practices on a puffin raising their chick and how wildlife is being restored in the Cairngorms National Park.

Speaking in the documentary, Sir David said: “In this film, we’ll meet inspiring people, young and old, who are working to restore the natural world and we will discover that we all need to urgently repair our relationship with the natural world.

“We now have a few short years during which we can still make a choice, where just enough remains of the natural world for it to recover. This starts and ends with us.”

Outside the documentary, Sir David said everyone can play a part in restoring nature and stressed it has “never been more important”.

He said: “Whilst it’s tempting to think of those on the frontline as the only ones who can make a difference, the truth is, every one of us, no matter where we live, can and must play a part in restoring nature to our isles. Never has it been more important to do this for ourselves and for our wildlife.”

Last month, the RSPB, WWF and the National Trust launched the Save Our Wild Isles campaign, urging everyone in society to come together to halt the destruction of UK nature and take urgent action to save it.

In a joint statement, Beccy Speight, RSPB chief executive, Tanya Steele, WWF chief executive and Hilary McGrady, National Trust director general, said: “The scale of the crisis facing UK nature demands that all of us, from all parts of society, take action.”

“Incredible work is happening in every corner of the UK, but to turn the nature crisis around requires all of us to play our part.”

They added: “Inspired by the landmark Wild Isles series, we came together to bring to life and celebrate these stories in an effort to inspire more people, businesses and leaders to pick up the baton.”

The Guardian newspaper reported in March that the film was originally intended as part of the Wild Isles series, and it had been pulled to avoid criticism from Tory politicians and right-wing newspapers due to it talking about controversial topics such as rewilding.

A spokesperson from the BBC previously said the claim that the film was supposed to be a sixth episode of Wild Isles is “totally inaccurate”. They added the programme was “always…a five-part series and does not shy away from environmental content”.