David Seth-Smith was a British zoologist, wildlife artist, broadcaster and author. His career included spells as Curator of Mammals and Birds for the Zoological Society of London and editor of the Bulletin of the British Ornithologist's Club and the Avicultural Magazine. He also presented nature programmes on the BBC's Children's Hour under the name 'The Zoo Man', and also ''Friends from the Zoo' on BBC Television in the 1930s. He illustrated and photographed many animals and birds in captivity and is credited with taking the only known photographs of the now extinct pink-headed duck.

By 1945, he was a Fellow of the Royal Zoological Society, Member of the British Ornithologist's Union, Hon. Fellow, New York Zoological Society; Corresponding Fellow, American Ornithologists' Union; and Corresponding Member, Societe National d'Acclimatation de France.