Telford zoo boss gets letter from Sir David Attenborough

Scott Adams, director of Telford Exotic Zoo, has spent much of his professional career looking up to inspirational wildlife documentary maker Sir David Attenborough

Now he has received a letter from the TV legend praising him for his work looking after animals from snakes to insects.

It comes after Mr Adams wrote to Mr Attenborough about a giant 20,000-year-old egg fossil he has.

The 32-year-old sent the presenter a photo of the elephant bird egg – and Mr Attenborough wrote back within a week thanking him for it.

Mr Adams has had the letter framed and it has taken pride of place in his office at the exotic zoo.

The Donnington Wood-based animal centre carries out a number of animal therapy sessions where staff take a number of animals to care homes around the county.

The team at Telford Exotic Zoo also helps local college students studying animal welfare.

Mr Adams said: "I was shocked he wrote back to me so quickly.

"I was hoping he would write back but I certainly wasn't expecting a hand-written letter to arrive within a week.

"It really was a great moment when I opened the letter, and I have framed it and put it in my office."

He added: "In the letter he praised the work we do at Telford Exotic Zoo and he thanked me for sending him photos of the egg, which we keep here."

The reason Mr Adams sent Attenborough a letter and the photograph of the egg was down to a documentary made in 2014 called Attenborough and the Giant Egg.

The programme explored the history of the elephant bird, where Attenborough tried to understand what led to its extinction.

Mr Adams said: "He is a huge hero of mine, he is definitely someone many people look up to.

"He encourages people to take an interest in animals and work with them.

"He definitely encouraged me to work with animals so to receive that letter was a huge deal.

"The letter has taken pride of place in my office and that's where it will stay."