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Chris Packham urges government to learn lessons of coronavirus pandemic

Chris Packham thinks the government needs to learn lessons from the coronavirus pandemic.
The 58-year-old TV presenter has urged Brits to "make positive changes off the back" of the pandemic, saying the current situation proves society is able to take serious action against the climate crisis.
He explained: "We have to do the same sort of things to protect the environment – not pretending we don’t have the capacity to do it.
"When we are out of lockdown, there will be many far-reaching opportunities for us to make positive change off the back of this.
"If we don’t take this opportunity, the horrible, harsh lessons we are learning now will be wasted. That would be a tragedy."
Chris also warned that mass extinction of endangered animals could occur if urgent action isn’t taken.
He told The Sun newspaper’s Bizarre TV column: "Many primates are critically endangered. We’ll lose thousands of species."
Chris previously urged ‘I’m A Celerity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ producers to stop using animals for entertainment.
The wildlife presenter hit out at the ITV show’s use of creatures during the Bushtucker Trials, saying he’d love to get the programme’s producers "in a room".
He explained: "When I see them being harmed or killed for entertainment, I wonder if we are not in the Middle Ages.
"It’s about change. People have to accept that we have to make changes now.
"I have never met Ant and Dec but rest assured if I did, I would be chatting about it. But it’s the programme producers I’d really like to get in a room."
‘I’m A Celebrity’ bosses previously came under fire when Vanessa White was seen holding live bugs in her mouth during a trial.
An ITV spokesman said at the time: "As a production, ‘I’m a Celebrity’ complies with all regional and national laws concerning the use of insects animals and reptiles."