A topical, given the great man’s recent centenary, choice from the reading group, but at the same time a historic curiosity first published in 1956. In that decade, the Zoo Quest books (and TV series) covered expeditions to both film and capture animals from the wilds of Africa, Asia, and South America. This particular jaunt was to Guyana (though then called British Guiana), and this version of the book is in an abridgement contained in a 2017 compilation under the title, Adventures of a Young Naturalist.
The introduction places the Zoo Quests in their historic context as well as giving background to how a young TV producer with an unused zoology degree got his start in natural history broadcasting. And we know where that led.
As for the expedition, what comes through is its off the cuff nature. Get a plane here, hitch a ride on a passing boat there, rock up at a native village and bunk down in a spare hut. Catch a caiman (small alligator) with bare hands and stuff it into a sack; knock up a cage from an old packing case for an anteater; haul a manatee out of the creek and sling it onto the back of a truck. All done by a crew of three – Attenborough, a cameraman, and a seconded zookeeper.
Their adventures are
told succinctly, with boyish enthusiasm and an easy charm that has become his
trademark over the years. But my historic curiosity satisfied, I passed on the
other two quests in the volume, to Indonesia and Paraguay.
No comments:
Post a Comment