"My heart has joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today."

Richard George Adams, author of Watership Down novel, born in 9th may 1920 has passed away at the age of 96. According to a statement from official book website:

"Richard’s much loved family announce with sadness that their dear father, grandfather, and great-grandfather passed away peacefully at 10pm on Christmas Eve."

Richard Adams didn't begin writing until he was 46. He began telling his kids a story about a group of rabbits, the story we know now as Watership Down. The novel was first published in 1972, becoming one of the bestselling children’s books of all time. Among the most know adaptadions, there is an animated movie from 1978 and a TV series from 2000. A new adaptation produced by BBC and Netflix is to be aired in 2017.

Richard Adams was also known from other anthropomorphic novels such as Shardik, The Plague Dogs or a loose Watership Down sequel - Tales from Watership Down.

‘It seemed to Hazel that he would not be needing his body any more, so he left it lying on the edge of the ditch, but stopped for a moment to watch his rabbits and to try to get used to the extraordinary feeling that strength and speed were flowing inexhaustibly out of him into their sleek young bodies and healthy senses.

“You needn’t worry about them,” said his companion. “They’ll be alright - and thousands like them.”’