Sir David Attenborough, one of the world's most renowned conservationists, has taken the time to respond to a four-year-old boy who wanted to know whether humans would become extinct like the dinosaurs.
Fortunately, it turns out that as long as we look after our planet properly, our species "need not" go extinct - according to the natural historian.
Otis Allen, four, had initially directed the precocious question at his mother Gerry, who, with limited knowledge on the subject, was unable to give her curious son an answer.
So, she decided the two of them would ask one of the most celebrated experts on extinction in the animal kingdom - Sir David Attenborough.
Gerry typed up her son's query in a letter, writing:
"I have been reading a lot about the dinosaurs lately - and I had a question for you. Will we be extinct one day too?
"My mummy says that if we look after Planet Earth by recycling our rubbish, driving the car less and eating less meat then we can help. What do you think is the most important thing I can do to help save the planet?"
The letter was posted along with a handmade card with a cut-out of a dinosaur. And the pair received a response from the 94-year-old naturalist just three days later!
Taking to Twitter to share Attenborough's response, the excited parent wrote: "My little boy (age 4.5) wrote to Sir David Attenborough to ask if humans would be extinct one day 'like the dinosaurs'."
Included in the tweet was a photo of Attenborough's handwritten letter in response to the young boy's question.
Gerry continued: "Today he received this beautiful reply: 'The answer is that we need not do so as long as we look after our planet properly.' Sir David is 94. He is a wonder"
In an interview with the BBC, the doting mom explained that when her son asked her whether humans would eventually become extinct, she admitted to him that she did not know the answer.
"So I told him about climate change and how we need to look after our planet," she said. "We also talked about the work lots of amazing people, like Sir David and Greta Thunberg, are doing to make sure people are taking action to make a difference."
As for Otis's response to Attenborough's letter, the four-year-old's face "lit up" when it was read out to him.
Gerry added: "He knows who Sir David is and that he's special - but I think he'll need to be a bit older before he really understands the significance."
