One of the most revered opinions on the state of the natural world has insisted he still has 'hope' for the state of the planet. However, legendary natural historian, David Attenborough, implored humans to turn their gaze away from themselves and look again at helping protect the Earth and its animal inhabitants.

David AttenboroughDavid Attenborough wants people to turn their attention away from themselves and towards the planet

Speaking on the Arts Hour on BBC radio, the Blue Planet and Dynasties narrator was asked whether society would exist on Earth in just a few hundred years.

He said: "I don't think it will be uninhabitable. Almost certainly it won't be as rich as it was. The question is, how poor will it be."

On the show, due to be broadcast in nine days' time, the 92-year-old said: "Human beings are the most adaptable organism that has ever appeared on the planet and is extraordinarily resourceful, and very good at looking after itself.

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"If it turns its attentions to looking after other things as well, which it is equally good at, if it bothers to do so, then there is hope."

But he added: "I think it's unlikely that my great grandchildren will ever see what I was able to see when I was wondering around the Earth in Borneo or wherever else 50 years ago."

The broadcaster also praised the innate nature of children's curiosity and said: "There is not a child born that, if it sees a snail for the first time crawling up a window pane, doesn't think, what on earth is that? How does it stick on? What does it feed on? Look at the underside... What is it doing?

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"Of course every child born is born with a curiosity for the natural world. If you lose that thing that you started off with, you've lost really one of the most precious treasures you have. Your life is the poorer."

He added: "The paradox is, that we may be the most overcrowded people that have ever lived in history but in fact we get a wider view of the world than ever before. The world now on television is viewed all the time."