20 April 2026
The Zoological Society of London pays tribute to zoologist, broadcaster and author Desmond Morris, whose work at London Zoo helped shape a golden age of wildlife television.
Desmond Morris, who has died aged 98, played a vital role in ZSL's history during a transformative period when we were finding new ways to share the wonder of the natural world with audiences beyond our zoo gates.
A curator who became a household name
From 1959, Morris combined his role as curator of mammals at London Zoo with presenting the weekly television programme Zoo Time for Granada. For nearly a decade, he brought the Zoo into living rooms across Britain, making ZSL part of the national conversation about wildlife at a time when television was still finding its feet.
His natural ability to communicate complex zoological ideas without condescension made him the perfect ambassador for the natural world and ZSL’s work. Whether being upended by a giant tortoise, navigating a cobra's on-air escape, or introducing viewers to an artistic chimpanzee called Congo, he combined scientific rigour with an infectious enthusiasm that captivated children and adults alike.
Opening doors to new audiences
Morris understood something fundamental: that engaging people with the natural world required more than simply presenting facts. It required curiosity, storytelling, and a willingness to meet audiences where they were. His work on Zoo Time demonstrated that popularising science didn't mean dumbing it down – a lesson that continues to inform our public engagement work today.
During his time at ZSL, Morris was already developing the ideas that would later make him internationally famous. His belief that studying human behaviour through a zoological lens could yield profound insights would culminate in The Naked Ape (1967), published shortly after he left the Zoo. The book's enormous success – more than 10 million copies sold worldwide – brought evolutionary thinking to millions of readers and sparked countless dinner table debates about humanity's place in the animal kingdom.
A legacy intertwined with our story
As ZSL marks its 200th anniversary this year, we're reflecting on the diverse individuals who have shaped our history and helped us evolve from a Georgian learned society into a modern conservation charity. Desmond Morris was one of those pivotal figures – someone who recognised that our work had value far beyond academic circles and who possessed the rare gift of translating that value for everyone.
When Morris left the Zoo in 1967, he was part of a generation of zoologists whose work contributed to evolving thinking about animal behaviour and care across zoological institutions worldwide. His willingness to question established practices and push for higher standards speaks to the kind of rigorous, progressive thinking that continues to shape ZSL’s mission today.
Morris went on to an extraordinary career as author, artist, and broadcaster, producing scientific papers alongside popular books and maintaining what he called his "childlike curiosity" well into his nineties. But for those of us at ZSL, we remember him particularly for those years when he stood in front of the cameras at London Zoo, helping a generation discover that the natural world – and our place within it – was endlessly fascinating.
Desmond John Morris, zoologist and broadcaster, was born on 24 January 1928. He died on 19 April 2026 aged 98.