LAMAMIMET

Desmond John Morris was born in Purton, Wiltshire, in 1928 and developed an early fascination with natural history and art while attending Dauntsey's School. After national service in the British Army, he studied zoology at the University of Birmingham and earned a PhD from Oxford for research on the reproductive behaviour of the ten‑spined stickleback.

Morris built a dual career as a scientist and media presenter. He headed the Granada TV and Film Unit for the Zoological Society of London, created and hosted the long‑running series *Zoo Time*, and later produced numerous documentaries on human and animal behaviour. His popular science books, especially *The Naked Ape* (1967), brought sociobiological insights to a wide audience and cemented his reputation as a public intellectual.

Beyond his scientific work, Morris pursued surrealist painting throughout his life, exhibiting his art in galleries and gaining recognition from institutions such as the Tate. He lived in Oxford and later in Ireland, remained active in the arts and zoological societies, and died on 19 April 2026 at the age of 98.