Sir David reveals how lizard protected his car

Published on 12/09/2012 01:58

Sir David Attenborough has 
revealed that he once used a large lizard as a makeshift car alarm during his travels.

The Bafta-winning naturalist, 86, caught a large chameleon in Madagascar to bring back with him to London Zoo.

But he realised he could use the creature as a security device for his car, which had a missing window from a break-in.

Sir David, who was launching a nature programme for the Eden channel at London’s Saatchi Gallery, said: “The window was smashed so it was quite a bit of a worry.

“What are we going to do with all our valuable stuff in the car if we ever leave it?

“So I decided that what I would do is get this very big 
animal and put him on the steering wheel.”

The television presenter then watched from a distance to see whether it was working.

“People were coming around and I watched them go ‘Aaargh’; and nobody would dream of breaking into the car and stealing anything with that there, so it was very interesting.”

Sir David explores the unusual anatomy of the chameleon in his forthcoming series Attenborough’s Natural Curiosities, which begins in January.

The naturalist has used his influence to champion a number of causes in recent years. In July he warned that butterflies could suffer population crashes due to the record-breaking wet weather this spring and summer.

He expressed concern that prolonged cold wet weather delays the butterflies emerging, reduces their lifespan and 
hampers mating and egg-laying.