The ‘voice of Exmoor’ tells Louise Vennells what it is that drives his passion for the wildlife of his native area

Johnny Kingdom was not born into a showbiz family. The 71-year-old wildlife presenter never received a boost or an advantageous introduction to break his way into the often elite world of television.

Instead, it is his raw passion for the flora and fauna of Exmoor which has propelled him on to the nation's screens, making him the obvious choice for quotes to national papers about the death of the majestic stag, Emperor.

But all of that might never have happened if it had not been for an accident which nearly killed Johnny himself.

The conservationist, who has lived at Bishops Nympton for the past 48 years, is perhaps an unlikely BBC wildlife champion. His manner is almost the polar opposite of the approach of David Attenborough, with an unpolished enthusiasm which speaks volumes about a childhood spent marvelling at the wonders of nature with his father, and a lifetime working in the outdoors.

He worked alongside his father, executing controlled explosions in quarries for 11 years, where the pair would catch moles, sending their skins off to a dealer. But, despite the dangerous-sounding nature of the work, it was in his job as a lumberjack that he almost met his end. On the day in question, Johnny's partner was sent on another job, and he was working alone.

"I cut down three big timber sticks and we had a tractor with a winch," he said.

"I was reversing backwards, with the anchor off the ground, holding up the hydraulic arm, when the chain broke. The hydraulic arm flew through the back of the cabin and flew through the window, knocking me unconscious."

When Johnny came to, he felt as if he had been badly beaten, and had multiple injuries. He was prescribed heavy medication, and began to smoke. In stark contrast with his joyful persona in his television programmes, he became deeply depressed as a result.

It took a life-changing task from friend Roger Gregory to set his career back on track. He asked Johnny to try out his camera on the moors, and with endless patience and an innate knowledge of the behavioural patterns of deer, he managed to get thrillingly close.

Johnny was bitten by the photography bug, and used the compensation from his accident to buy a camera of his own.

Now, he has built his way up to own 54 acres of Exmoor land which was once used for farming. He has developed a haven for a huge variety of birds and creatures, equipped with hidden cameras to capture precious moments such as 18 wrens flying into a nesting box to roost, and stunning footage of barn owls.

They are among the highlights of his upcoming BBC4 programme, Johnny Kingdom, A Year With the Birds.

The three-part series starts on Wednesday, at 8.30pm. It tracks Johnny over 12 months on his reserve, trying to overcome the challenges of each season to maximise his land's potential for wild occupants.

Johnny is particularly devastated by the death of Emperor the stag because of the painstaking time he has spent tracking the animal. But his love of wildlife also extends to a more controversial subject – badgers.

He has misgivings about the proposed cull to tackle TB, and believes it is only necessary because of a mistaken decision to protect badgers, and their populations spiralling out of control as a result.

But he said: "When you start introducing these measures, you are interfering with the countryside, and country life, and that's something you can't do. They should have let it go its own way."