Child wrote to David Attenborough asking about baby gorillas in 1981 — he actually got a handwritten reply
Even at the age of 100, the natural history celebrity, Sir David Attenborough, is still responding to letters
In today's day and age, getting a reply to a DM from a well-known celebrity is highly unlikely. However, a person (u/grannyelbows on Reddit) ended up sharing something different — a photo of their boss' letter to Sir David Attenborough. The yellowed letter was written when their boss was a child, almost 45 years ago. Although the contents of the letter were not revealed, Sir Attenborough's response to their question was short and to the point. The post was shared on May 8, 2026, and it has received 52,000 upvotes and more than 600 comments since.
My old boss wrote a letter to Sir David Attenborough when he was a child in 1981 asking him if there is a special name for a baby gorilla. David responded.
by u/grannyelbows in mildlyinteresting
A 'baby gorilla' query
The letter had Sir David Attenborough's name and address at the top of the page. Judging by the answer, it seemed that the boss had asked if there was a special name for baby gorillas. The natural history broadcaster wrote back, "Dear Craig, I do not think that a baby gorilla has got a special name. It is just called a baby gorilla. With best wishes," signed Attenborough. Despite the short reply, people were delighted that Sir Attenborough took the time to respond to a child.
Apology letter for printing error
This was not the first time Sir Attenborough had replied to a child's letter. In the 1980s, Edward Power had written to Sir David Attenborough after spotting a printing error in the early edition of 'Discovering Life on Earth.' A chapter on dinosaurs misidentified the herbivorous Hypsilophodon as the sharp-toothed scavenger Deinonychus. Edward felt it was up to him to point out the mistake and penned a letter. He signed it off by writing, "Please write back to me." He was shocked when Sir Attenborough actually replied with a handwritten letter.
He began, "Dear Edward, Thank you for your letter," and explained that an error had slipped through during the publishing process. John Kay, a reporter, also shared on his Instagram how he received a handwritten reply from Sir Attenborough as a 10-year-old after writing to the BBC in 1980.
Still at it after a century
Even at the age of 100, Sir David Attenborough is still responding to letters, and that too, handwritten. On December 4, 2025, the residents at Handford House, Ipswich, received a letter from the natural history broadcaster. He wrote, "Thank you for your letter. I am so glad you enjoy watching my programmes. Best wishes to you all, David Attenborough." The residents were ecstatic that he took the time to reply to their letters. Greta, one of the residents, said, "It’s nice to receive the letter. He has always been interesting to listen to." Ruth added, "I am very pleased he took the time to write to us."
Readers had the best takeaways
People were coining different made-up names for a baby gorilla in the comment section. Some noted how lucky the boss is to have a handwritten letter from Attenborough. u/NaturalHealthFits wrote, "Imagine having a personalized letter from David Attenborough. Your boss basically peaked in 1981, and it’s been downhill from there. This is amazing." u/Crescitaly added, "The man took a child’s question seriously and wrote back. That’s the energy that made generations fall in love with the natural world."
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