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Bear Gryllls is no stranger to being called out by animal rights campaigners for some of the content of his documenatries.

But now Sir David Attenborough has had his say on the controversial matter of showing animal killing for 'entertainment.'

In an interview with The Sun , Sir David said: “Bear Grylls will have to answer for himself."

He added: “I wouldn’t willingly kill an animal just to get a shot”

Sir David, who has been making TV documentaries since 1952, then said: “We’ve never killed an animal."

(Image: Channel 4) (Image: BBC)

Animal lovers had been left furious following scenes from the celebrity version of The Island last year which showed former Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas grappling with then killing a crocodile.

Former Olympian Iwan Thomas also came under fire for killing a caiman on the show but he insisted they were so hungry that they had no choice.

(Image: PA)

"It was a do or die situation,” he said during an appearance on Good Morning Britain, revealing that each contestant lost at least two stone.

"It sounds cruel, but I felt no remorse when I killed that caiman – I know that's horrible,” he continued.

"There was no pleasure in killing it, but we were starving. I feel bad that we took an animal's life, but we had to eat."

(Image: PA)

Defending the actions of the contestants, a Channel 4 spokesman previously said: "An important part of the series is to find out if the celebrities are capable of surviving alone and able to find sources of food, including hunting and killing for meat; a vital part of their survival as it is a source of valuable calories and protein.

"The celebrities were trained in the humane capture and dispatch of live animals as part of their survival training and the adult caiman was killed humanely.”

(Image: Channel 4)

In 2014 there was similar outcry when a caiman was shown being slaughtered and used for food again.

The second episode of The Island sparked 93 complaints but Ofcom said it did not break the rules.

Speaking at the time, a spokesman for People for the Ethical ­Treatment of Animals (PETA), said: “The Island is the result of some worn-out idea about showing crude dominance over the wonders of nature , a deep ignorance of who animals are and a callous disregard for life.

“There was no reason other than a desperate quest for ratings to harm and torment the animal.”

PETA added the men who caught the reptile and bound its mouth “should be prosecuted”.