Pupils at a Gateshead primary school are giddy with excitement after receiving a handwritten letter from Sir David Attenborough.
In the letter send to Year 4 at Swalwell Primary School, the British broadcaster and natural historian said he was "impressed" with their work on conservation.
The children, aged eight and nine, decided to write to Sir David to tell him about how animal habitats have changed over time due to human activity.
But they never expected to receive a response from the 95-year-old and were speechless when they realised he had taken the time to reply.
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Acting Assistant Head Teacher, Russell Warren, said: "When I came into school and heard that Year 4 had received a letter from Sir David Attenborough, I didn't believe it - I was speechless.
"I think it's amazing that he's replied to the children's letter, they were thrilled when they found out and when they told me about it they were beaming."
Mr Warren added: "I think the letter is so great because it recognised the work that the children have been doing and I think it's such a lovely way to end what has been an incredibly challenging year for them."
The children were keen to write to Sir David Attenborough after watching clips of his documentaries during their studies into conservation.
They wanted to share their findings of how natural habitats had changed over time after analysing photographs of the natural habitats of hawksbill sea turtles, giant pandas and African elephants.
The pupils were passionate about their findings and wanted to share them in a letter to Sir David Attenborough, who penned a reply to on June 13.
Sir David's letter said: "Dear children of Year 4,
"Thank you for your letter. I was very impressed by your findings they show very clearly the damage that human beings have done to the natural world.
"So we must do all we can to protect it and support those charities that are doing so.
"Best wishes, David Attenborough"
Headteacher Rachel Hocking said: "As a school we continually look for ways to bring our curriculum to 'life' and give children real life experiences.
"We firmly believe by doing this we can provide the best education possible to our learners and instil in them our aim of life-long learning.
"By children receiving a reply from Sir David Attenborough it helps give a sense of reality and purpose to their learning.
"This in turn enables children to remember more whilst developing their confidence and self-esteem."
