Chris Packham says we should learn to love pests.
The TV star, 59, is convinced we need them because they help the ecosystem.
And he blames shows like I’m A Celebrity for demonising them.
He said: “Cockroaches aren’t bad. Rats aren’t bad. It’s always those animals which are perceived to be horrible – the rats and the cockroaches.
“What we have to remember is every one of these animals has a valuable role to play in generating sustainable communities in their natural environment.
“They can just be a nuisance if we allow them to get in the wrong place.”
Chris Packham believes shows like I’m A Celeb demonise animals like cockroachers (Image: Press Association Images)
The Springwatch presenter has spent years urging TV bosses to stop portraying them as disgusting.
He said: “The problem with programmes like I’m A Celebrity is stereotyping of those animals.
“It’s one of those things where we need to update our ideas. ITV needs to think, ‘You know what, this isn’t appropriate for the 21st Century… abusing animals in this way and portraying them in a negative way’.”
In 2019, Chris was among the campaigners who convinced I’m A Celebrity bosses to stop using live animals in eating trials.
‘Rats aren’t bad,’ says Chris (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
And he reckons it would be just as entertaining without any animals.
He said: “I would like to see their use in trials cease immediately. I don’t think that we should be living in an age where animals are used for entertainment.”
- Chris is the narrator on new show Cecil: The Lion King. It’s part of National Geographic WILD’s Big Chat Week, which starts Monday.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
