Zoologist, author and presenter Desmond Morris dies aged 98

The zoologist Desmond Morris, perhaps best known for his book the Naked Ape and his work on the ITV programme Zoo Time, has died aged 98.

Morris’s son Jason paid tribute to him after his death on Sunday, praising his many professional achievements as well as his role as a father and grandfather.

“His was a lifetime of exploration, curiosity and creativity,” Jason said. “A zoologist, manwatcher, author and artist, he was still writing and painting right up until his death. He was a great man and an even better father and grandfather.”

Morris rose to prominence in 1967 when the Naked Ape became an international bestseller. He was also a prolific producer of surrealist art, often painting until 4am. He acknowledged that his work may have been indirectly influenced by his knowledge of natural history and nature and his lifelong interest in the reproductive behaviour of animals.

Born in Wiltshire in 1928, Morris began his two years of national service in the British army in 1946 before pursuing his interest in the arts and studying natural history.

Morris studied zoology at the University of Birmingham and completed a doctorate in animal behaviour at Oxford University, where he remained to study the reproductive behaviour of birds.

He became the face of the ITV Granada nature series Zoo Time in 1956. The show ran until 1967, featuring animal experts and zoo staff and exploring the behaviour of animals.

Morris also hosted art exhibitions, including one at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London in 1957 which combined his interest in animals and painting, showcasing works created by chimpanzees.

Morris studied zoology at the University of Birmingham and completed a doctorate in animal behaviour at the University of Oxford. Photograph: PA

He also co-organised an exhibition titled The Lost Image in 1958, which compared images created by infants, human adults and apes and was displayed at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

Morris became the Zoological Society’s curator of mammals at London zoo in 1959 and held the post for eight years.

He started his career with the BBC in 1965, hosting its Life in the Animal World programme, and later went on to present many documentaries for the corporation, including Manwatching (1977), TV And Natural History (1986) and the Human Animal (1994). He also had regular appearances on shows such as the Animals Roadshow and Friday Night And Saturday Morning.