Main content

Chris Packham

Naturalist and wildlife expert Chris Packham's interest in creatures great and small has been lifelong

Naturalist and wildlife expert Chris Packham's interest in creatures great and small has been lifelong. His earliest memories are of discovering beauty in small things such as the ladybird that tickled his palm and pitched on the tip of his finger. It was formatively perfect. He still sees and feels this about living things, and revels in it.

For the last 11 years Chris has shared his life with two miniature poodles called Itchy and Scratchy - his 'joy grenades’: "These two animals rule my world and I live to serve them throughout their reign (of terror). They are more anarchy than monarchy, perhaps even more bad than good but, whatever, they are my boys, my little princes in fluffy black armour, the true guardians of my heart and soul."

Chris's empathy with animals is equal to his fascination to learn more about what it is that motivates them to play their unique part in world we all share. This is the first series Chris has made solely about animal cognition. It’s allowed him to investigate what’s happening inside the heads not just of dogs like Itchy and Scratchy but countless other animals – crows, dolphins, chimps, bees, octopi and swallows - to name a few. The series provides surprising and revelatory answers and explores what really goes on Inside the Animal Mind.