Sir David Attenborough’s 100th Birthday Gift: A Wise, Old Rescued Bull, Sir Attenbullock
As Sir David Attenborough turns 100, PETA UK is celebrating the legendary man who has awakened millions to the wonders of the animal kingdom and for his condemnation of the devastating efforts of the meat industry on our planet’s ecology. The beloved broadcaster has brought landmark, award-winning natural history series to screens, including Life on Earth, The Blue Planet, and The Private Life of Plants. So what’s PETA UK doing for his centennial celebration? Naming a rescued bull in his honor.
The wise old bull, David Attenbullock, shows visitors around a sanctuary in India, opening their eyes to nature—much like Sir David has done for audiences around the world.
Meet David Attenbullock: A Living Tribute to a Champion of Compassion
David Attenbullock was among the first animals rescued through PETA India’s Delhi Mechanization Project—a powerful initiative replacing animal-drawn carts with electric vehicles. These innovations spare horses and bulls from an industry that forces them to toil and pull heavy loads all day long, allowing them to finally retire in peace.
The sweet bull spent years hauling heavy carts through the chaotic, crowded markets of Delhi, streets familiar to Sir David, weaving through dense traffic and enduring long hours in the heat and dust, often without rest or water. He suffered exhaustion, injury, and strain, but today, like Sir David, he has an important educational role, accompanying sanctuary visitors through his lush orchard home in northern India. His gentle presence captivates visitors, allowing them to appreciate nature and get to know the lives and habits of the rescued animals there.
He invites visitors to the sanctuary to pause with him, and in doing so, they notice more—the birdsongs, the life moving through the grass and trees, and the many other animals who share his home.”
—Ingrid Newkirk
Celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s Birthday by Putting His Message Into Motion
The planet Sir David Attenborough has spent his life documenting is in crisis—and the meat industry is driving it. He has long been a voice against the cruel, environmentally destructive animal agricultural system, noting that being vegan is “so much more efficient” and urging that “we must change our diet. The planet can’t support billions of meat-eaters.”
The meat, egg, dairy, and fishing industries are leading culprits of the climate catastrophe, and yet, they’re often left out of environmental conversations. But the numbers don’t lie: animal agriculture produces around a third of human-caused methane, a greenhouse gas that is over 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in its first 20 years in the atmosphere. And emissions are only part of the problem.
Animal agriculture is also the leading cause of deforestation, with vast swaths of forest destroyed to grow feed crops and make way for massive farms that confine animals on an industrial scale. Studies show that if the world went vegan, we could free up around 75% of agricultural land.
Sir David has long reminded us that every life matters—from cows who form lifelong friendships, to mother hens who teach their chicks calls before they even hatch, to the smallest insects like ants, who live in complex, highly organized civilizations. Every animal is someone. The Earth is our only home—and it’s our responsibility to protect it.
YOU can make a positive change by going vegan—the single biggest way to reduce your impact on the earth.
