Sir David Attenborough lands two new BBC projects in the run-up to his 100th birthday

Sir David Attenborough has travelled the globe making wildlife films but to mark his centenary year, the world’s most famous naturalist has turned his attention closer to home.

In Wild London, Sir David explores the wildlife to be found in the city he has lived in for 75 years. Stories include pigeons commuting by tube, snakes along Regent's canal, parakeets raiding city parks and beavers living next to a busy shopping centre.

Following the fortunes of a pair of peregrines nesting on the House of Parliament and a family of foxes living in the heart of Tottenham, Sir David will celebrate the extraordinary ways animals have adapted to survive in the urban jungle.

Executive producer Tom Hugh-Jones, told the Mirror: “ Wild London captures that Attenborough magic at its very best - presenting in vision throughout the film, having up-close encounters with animals and talking intimately about his own wildlife experiences.”

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The film comes as the broadcasting veteran, who turns 100 in the spring, is confirmed as the narrator of this autumn’s landmark natural history series for BBC1, Kingdom.

The major six-parter chronicles the real-life sagas of four African animal families, in one of the most ambitious projects to date from BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit. Filmed across five years, in Zambia, the lives and fates of leopards, hyenas, wild dogs and lions are shown to be inextricably linked as they strive for survival in a remote river valley.

Series producer Felicity Lanchester said: “With David’s commentary the Kingdom series really sprung to life - a wry inflection here, warmth in his voice there and masterful dramatic timing around the action. He tells the story in the clearest, most compelling, and emotional way. We are so grateful for his involvement.”

Other upcoming new natural history shows for BBC1 include Green Planet II, a follow-up to the original series about plant life that aired in 2022, and Tiger Island - a two-parter about an island close to Nepal wheretigers are thriving.

On Green Planet II, series producer Scott Alexander said: “For years plants have always been the backdrop to wildlife films but given the chance to put them front of stage and give them they recognition they deserve was one I couldn’t resist. By discovering, and revealing just how clever, cunning, and devious they can be, and the surprising ways they use animals to get what they want, I hope we can begin to look at plants as individuals with lives full of challenges, struggles and dramas all of their own.”

BBC factual boss Jack Bootle said that natural History was at the heart of what makes the BBC special. "No other broadcaster invests so consistently in wildlife filmmaking or covers such an ambitious range of subjects and styles - from David Attenborough exploring the wildlife of his own city, to a team of intrepid filmmakers risking it all to document the secret lives of tigers in Nepal. I’m proud we continue to lead the way at a time of such uncertainty for our planet.”

Other new single films coming soon for BBC2 viewers include Gordon Buchanan: Wild Horses and Me for BBC2. Buchanan's film is shot in the Canadian Rockies and shows him getting close to wild mustang.

The wildlife presenter said: "My love of horses runs deep - they have grace, strength and spirit in every stride and walking among the wild horses in the breathtaking landscape of the Canadian Rockies made my heart sing. These majestic animals are a lesson in boundless freedom and to film with them was one of the most uplifting and life affirming experiences of my 30- year career."

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