Terry Nutkins
| Terry Nutkins | |
|---|---|
| Born |
12 August 1946 Marylebone, London, England |
| Died | 6 September 2012 (aged 66) Glenelg, Highland, Scotland |
| Occupation | TV presenter, wildlife conservationist, author |
Terence "Terry" Paul Nutkins (12 August 1946 – 6 September 2012) was an English naturalist, television presenter and author. He was best known for his television appearances, notably in the UK children's programmes Animal Magic, The Really Wild Show, Brilliant Creatures and Growing Up Wild.
Terry Nutkins was born in Marylebone, London and spent most of his childhood there. He skipped school to spend time with the elephants at London Zoo. At the age of twelve, Nutkins went to work in the West Highlands of Scotland, the naturalist Gavin Maxwell having written to London Zoo requesting help from two young assistants to look after otters that he was keeping as pets and studying at his remote home in the Sandaig Islands near the Isle of Skye. Nutkins was initially hired for a summer placement, but did not return home and with the permission of his parents he spent several years working and living with Maxwell and another boy who had landed a summer job with Nutkins, Jimmy Watt. Maxwell became Nutkins' legal guardian, and in a Radio 4 documentary Nutkins described living with Maxwell as a "peculiar existence, in virtual isolation, with a man who was as charming as he was difficult, and whose depression led to severe mood swings". Maxwell wrote several books during Nutkins' time there, including the hugely successful Ring of Bright Water in 1960. At 15, Nutkins lost part of two fingers to one of the otters, named Edal. In the "United Kingdom" episode of the BBC's programme "Deadly 60", Nutkins revealed that the otter became aggressive in response to the scent on a jumper that he had been given by a woman that Edal had already attacked and bitten. Edal tore at Nutkins' boot, then attacked his right hand as he reached down, severing the end of his middle finger. As he attempted to control the otter with his other hand, the otter bit his other middle finger and twisted away, severing the end of the other finger.
Nutkins revisited the site of the cottage he shared with Maxwell on the BBC's Countryfile programme in 2010.
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