BBC wildlife expert Chris Packham, who attracted strong criticism by hunters during a recent visit to Malta, has run headlong into a new controversy by saying that humans need to stop prioritising themselves over the environment and help wildlife instead of ‘chasing cures for cancer’.
The outspoken naturalist, 53, also criticised Sir Richard Branson's "grotesquely misinformed" project to put lemurs on a Caribbean island, and said that Christianity "doesn't help" when it comes to getting people to change their attitude and think about the planet.
He told Radio Times magazine that risk aversion was "killing childhood", meaning that children who were free to explore nature on their own were now an "extinct" species.
The wildlife expert called on wealthy philanthropists to stop prioritising human health and to fund environmental causes instead.
He told the magazine that economic growth was "a recipe for disaster" and blasted "ill-informed" politicians.
"Because we're humans, we make the decisions. We've got to get to a state where we think about all life and not just human life," he said.
"Christianity doesn't help: we're made in God's image so everything is there to be exploited by us. It doesn't help people's attitudes."
But he said that he was "optimistic" about the future, adding: "Our understanding of what we need to do to preserve species is increasing.
"The reason why it's failing at the moment is that politicians - local, national, global - don't understand the need to look after our planet.
"Biological resources are worth trillions of dollars a year, when you think about the fish taken out of the sea, the forests cut down for wood, the oil pumped out of the ground. So, at a certain point the ecologists will have an equal say to the economists.
"If there's one mantra that we need to break in the next 10 years it's that economic growth is a good thing. It isn't. It's a recipe for global disaster."
He added: "What we need in the next 10 years - as a stop-gap - is corporate funding and the benevolence of philanthropists.
"There are a lot of wealthy people in the UK who, in the past, would give to things such as medicine and education, but because of the pressure on the environment they're now thinking of using their excess wealth to protect wildlife.
"We need to stop chasing cures for cancer and things like that and start realising that the health of the planet goes beyond the health of human beings."
Following the publication of the interview by Radio Times magazine, Packham tweeted his disapproval of the reporting saying: The press should be utterly ashamed . I clearly didn't say that 'Curing cancer was a waste of time' or anything like it .
MALTA VISIT
Following his visit to Malta last month, Packham spoke of “widespread disbelief and horror” in the UK over Malta’s spring hunting season. “Malta is getting the benefits of the EU without sticking to the rules.
“Shooting adult birds in spring, which won’t have the opportunity to breed, is really not compatible with our know-ledge of conservation in 21st century Europe.”
While in Malta, Mr Packham was questioned by police for over four hours following complaints from the hunters’ lobby that he was violating their privacy.
The hunters’ federation, FKNK filed a judicial protest against the Police Commissioner and the Data Protection Commissioner, telling them they had a duty to prevent “crimes” being contemplated by Mr Packham.
The federation said it had filed the protest in the wake of what had been stated by Mr Packham on his website – that he would be filming hunters killing “millions” of birds this season.