Christopher Eugene Parsons OBE (23 August 1932 – 8 November 2002)[1] was an English wildlife film-maker and the executive producer of David Attenborough's Life on Earth nature documentary.
In 1957 he was one of the founding members of the BBC Natural History Unit, becoming a pioneer of the genre alongside names such as Peter Scott, Tony Soper, Pat Beech and Eric Ashby.
Parsons accompanied his friend Gerald Durrell on animal-collecting expeditions to Australia and Sierra Leone to produce the television series Two in the Bush (1962) and Catch Me a Colobus (1966).
After stepping down from his role as Head in 1983, he was appointed to develop commercial opportunities for the BBC by utilising the growing library of archive natural history footage.
[1] In 1982, Parsons and Peter Scott co-founded the Wildscreen Festival in Bristol,[4] a biennial event which recognises and celebrates the achievements of wildlife film-makers, the first of its kind in the world.
[8] Developed with funding from the National Lottery, its aim was to raise awareness of global biodiversity and conservation issues using a combination of live animal exhibits, videos and interactive displays.
[9] Recognition for his achievements came with the WWF International award for Conservation Merit in 1990 and honorary membership of the Linnean Society of London, for services to natural history.