Mum has huge tattoo of David Attenborough

WILDLIFE fan Samantha Ordish has turned herself into a rare species - by getting a huge tattoo of naturalist Sir David Attenborough on her arm.
Sam Ordish's tattoo of David Attenborough
Picture: Simon Czapp/Solent News & Photo AgencySam Ordish's tattoo of David Attenborough
Picture: Simon Czapp/Solent News & Photo Agency
Sam Ordish's tattoo of David Attenborough Picture: Simon Czapp/Solent News & Photo Agency

The Portsmouth mum has loved the 90-year-old wildlife expert and his famous animal documentaries since she was a young child.

The brightly coloured tattoo sleeve, which covers her entire right arm, shows David Attenborough’s face, a gorilla and two hummingbirds.

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A golden headed lion tamarin, two red-eyed tree frogs, and a keel-billed toucan, surrounded by greenery and tropical plants, are also depicted in the incredible artwork - which cost £1500.

Samantha, 34, visited tattoo artist and fellow Attenborough fan Wesley Lambe, co-owner of The Ink Doctors Tattoo studio in Southsea, Hants, five times over the course of a year to have the sleeve done.

Each sitting lasted about five hours - with Samantha going under the needle for a total of 24 hours.

Samantha, who works as a tattoo artist herself at Dolls and Skulls Tattoo Studio in Portsmouth, said: “The last few years have been hard for me - I have lost both my dad and my nan.

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“They brought me up watching David Attenborough and I wanted to have something that would remind me of them, but I didn’t want their portraits as that would make me cry.

“I have been obsessed with David Attenborough ever since I was a kid - he was a bit like a TV dad.

“I think I started watching him aged four. It was with my family whenever he was on TV.”

She added: “I was always really fond of his rainforest episodes especially - they were my favourite.

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“I still watch as much David Attenborough as I possibly can - I’m a very big Attenborough and animal fan.

“I still have all his books I was given as a kid.”

Samantha, who lost her father three years ago and her grandmother last year, planned the artwork for months, and had the impressive sleeve done over the course of a year, starting last February.

She said: “My earliest memory of watching David Attenborough was when he was really, really young filming with gorillas.

“A monkey I have at the bottom of my arm was one of his favourite animals.

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“I found all the animals and the images, and then Wesley put his own spin on it.

“He is also a huge Attenborough fan - he has gone to meet him before at a book signing.

“So there were two huge David Attenborough fans in the room when I was having the tattoo done.”

She added: “I was looking on the internet for images and looking through books for months beforehand - I didn’t just want to put anything on my arm!”

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Wesley Lambe, 34, said: “I’ve been a big David Attenborough fan since I was a kid, my aunty used to buy me all the box sets and I still watch as much as I can now.

“So when Sam came to me with this idea I thought ‘that’s awesome, that’s right up my street.’

“Last year I took the day off work to meet him at a book signing. I was a bit star-struck.”

Wesley, from Havant, Hants, who has been a tattoo artist for about eight years, added: “I am really happy with the finished tattoo.

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“It was a tricky one to blend all the bits together. I could only do one part at a time.

“Most people who see it love it - even people who wouldn’t have it themselves.”

Samantha said her 18-year-old son thinks the tattoo ‘is a bit weird’ but she is extremely proud of the artwork, which is ‘something unique.”

She added: “I haven’t met David Attenborough yet - but I do plan on meeting him to see what he thinks and to see how weird he thinks I am.

“I am so proud of the tattoo - I was just overwhelmed when I saw it completed, it’s just so great and so colourful.”