British naturalist Sir David Attenborough wins prestigious Spanish prize

British naturalist wins prestigious Spanish prize

MADRID — British naturalist Sir David Attenborough won Spain’s prestigious Prince of Asturias social sciences prize Thursday for his “great contributions to the defense of life and conservation of our planet.”

Attenborough, 82, is best known for his nature documentaries on the British Broadcasting Corp. television.

The Prince of Asturias foundation said Attenborough’s talents “allowed him to approach the study of the earth and living creatures with a creative and innovative combination of skills.”

“I am greatly honored,” Attenborough said in a statement. “It is an inspiring recognition that protection of the natural world, which I have spent so much of my life documenting, should be the concern of all humanity.”

The 2008 social sciences prize went to French linguist and historian Tzvetan Todorov.

The award is one of eight the foundation hands out each year covering areas ranging from the arts to humanities, scientific research and literature.

The World Health Organization won the foundation’s 2009 international cooperation award last week for its work fighting global killers such as AIDS, polio and tuberculosis. British architect Norman Foster won its 2009 arts prize.

Three other prizes — in humanities, scientific research and literature — will be announced later in June. Two others, for sports and “concord,” honoring those who work for peace or fight poverty, will be announced in September.

Each carries a €50,000 ($70,000) cash stipend and a sculpture by Joan Miro. The prizes are named after Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe, whose formal title is Prince of Asturias, a region of northern Spain.