Springwatch viewers were left feeling rather queasy on Wednesday evening after watching Chris Packham get up close and personal with pine marten droppings.
The 65-year-old wildlife presenter sparked a wave of disgust among fans when he handled animal faeces with his bare hands during the BBC programme's latest episode.
It turns out the naturalist couldn't help himself when crew members reported spotting the typically nocturnal creatures during daylight hours in Northern Ireland.
His hands-on approach to examining the excrement sent shocked viewers straight to social media, where many expressed their dismay at what they'd just witnessed.
The presenter was investigating pine martens
|BBC
The moment that left viewers cringing came when Mr Packham ventured into the woodland on his solo mission to find a pine marten in broad daylight.
After spotting some droppings on the path, he decided there was only one way to investigate properly, and said: "Some faeces here, there is only one way to find out."
The presenter then got down on the ground and put his nose right up to the animal waste, though he wasn't particularly impressed with what he found.
"Not much of a scent on that," he remarked, before spotting some more nearby and added: "Ah, this looks fresher, ah yes, unmistakably pine marten," before picking it up and giving it another sniff.
The star found some of the animals faeces on the floor
|BBC
"I mean, there is no way really of describing the difference in smell between that and, say, something like a badger; you have just got to get your nose in there. There aren't enough adjectives in our vocabulary to describe that difference.
"This is pine marten, and it's full of these seeds, which is unusual, but I think I have spotted the source of what it is eating," before getting back up and showing viewers the small ivy berries above.
Closing the segment, Mr Packam finished: "I am going to put this poo back where I found it because it is not only poo, it is a system of communication because that scent is a particular perfume which is identifying this particular pine marten and it has put it there to communicate with others."
But he wasn't finished there, as when he came across another pile, he simply picked it up and examined it without any gloves whatsoever.
He knelt down and picked up the faeces with his bare hands
|BBC
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Fans wasted no time sharing their reactions online, with many taking issue with Mr Packham's gloveless approach to wildlife investigation.
One viewer on X, formerly Twitter, wrote: "Oh for Pete's sake, wear gloves when picking up poo! #springwatch."
Another echoed the sentiment, posting: "That was disgusting #chrispackam could've at least worn gloves. Feel a little sick."
"Well that's put me right off my dinner, absolutely disgusting! We didn't need a play-by-play of the animal's bowel movements!" another annoyed viewer penned. (sic)
The scenes left viewers disturbed
|BBC
A fourth added: "I love Chris, but sometimes I question whether he takes it one step too far. Tonight was that night!" (sic)
While Mr Packham is known for his passionate approach to nature, this particular moment clearly crossed a line for squeamish viewers who would have preferred a more hygienic investigation method.
The Wednesday evening episode saw Mr Packham presenting alongside co-host Michaela Strachan, with the pair broadcasting from Northern Ireland to showcase the region's seasonal wildlife.
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