Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente

Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente
Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente portrait.
Born	Félix Samuel Rodríguez de la Fuente (1928-03-14)March 14, 1928 Poza de la Sal, Castilla y León, Spain
Died	March 14, 1980(1980-03-14) (aged 52) Shaktoolik, Alaska, USA
Resting place	Poza de la Sal Cemetery (1980); Burgos Cemetery (1981-present)
Nationality	Spanish
Alma mater	Valladolid University
Occupation	Naturalist
Spouse(s)	Marcelle Geneviève Parmentier Lepied
Children	María de las Mercedes Geneviève Leticia Jimena Odile Patricia
Parent(s)	Samuel Rodríguez Marcelina de la Fuente Ibáñez
Relatives	Mercedes Rodríguez de la Fuente (sister)

Félix Samuel Rodríguez de la Fuente (March 14, 1928 – March 14, 1980) contributed to the popularization of science, Spanish naturalist and broadcaster. He is best known for the highly successful and influential TV series, El Hombre y la Tierra (1975–1980). Degree in medicine and self-taught in biology, he was a multifaceted charismatic figure whose influence has endured despite the passing years. His knowledge covered areas such as falconry and ethology, emphasizing the study of wolves. Rodríguez de la Fuente also served as expedition guide and photographer on safaris in Africa, lecturer and writer, and contributed greatly to environmental awareness in Spain at a time when Conservationism was unheard of in the country. His impact was not only national but also international and it is estimated that his television programs, which was broadcast in many countries, has been seen by millions. He died in Alaska while shooting a documentary about the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, when the Cessna 185 aircraft carrying him along with two Spanish cameramen and the American pilot crashed, killing all on board.

Félix Samuel Rodríguez de la Fuente was born in Poza de la Sal (Burgos, Spain) on March 14, 1928. He was the son of Samuel Rodríguez and Marcelina de la Fuente Ibáñez. He had a younger sister, Mercedes. His father was the town notary, and avid reader and a lover of the Spanish language. His household was somewhat intellectual for a small Castillian village. He was schooled at home due to the Civil War (1936 - 1939) and his father's opposition to early schooling. Felix adventures into the surrounding natural world were continuous until he was ten. He would describe his birthplace as a "human community living in harmony with the landscape" that shaped his "zoomorphic universe." This environment had a deep impact on his future sensitivity, and his anthropological and philosophical approach to his career as a naturalist. He spent the summers in Santander (Cantabria, Spain), where his father was appointed as a notary. He deepened his knowledge of zoology. During a family outing he observed a falcon capturing a duck. This experience prompted his interest in falconry. He began his formal education in 1938 as an intern at the religious school Sagrados Corazonistas de Vitoria. There, he longed for the summer and his lost freedom.