"In 1954, David Attenborough, a young television presenter, was offered the opportunity of a lifetime--to travel the world finding rare and elusive animals for the London Zoo's collection, and to film the expedition for the BBC for a new show called Zoo Quest. This is the story of those voyages. Staying with local tribes while trekking in search of giant anteaters in Guyana, Komodo dragons in Indonesia, and armadillos in Paraguay, he and the rest of the team contended with cannibal fish, aggressive tree porcupines, and escape-artist wild pigs, as well as treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather, to record the incredible beauty and biodiversity of these regions. Written with his trademark wit and charm, Adventures of a Young Naturalist is not just the story of a remarkable adventure, but of the man who made us fall in love with the natural world and taught us the importance of protecting it--and who is still doing so today"--

Originally published in London by Two Roads, 2017.

Book one: Zoo quest to Guyana. To Guyana ; Tiny McTurk and cannibal fish ; The painted cliff ; Sloths and snakes ; Spirits in the night ; Shanties on the Mazaruni ; Vampires and Gertie ; Mr. King and the mermaid ; Return -- Book two: Zoo quest for a dragon. To Indonesia ; The faithful Jeep ; Bali ; The animals of Bali ; Volcanoes and pickpockets ; Arrival in Borneo ; Charlie, the orangutan ; A perilous journey ; The Island of Komodo ; The dragons ; Postscript -- Book three: Zoo quest to Paraguay. To Paraguay ; The decline of a luxury cruise ; Butterflies and birds ; Nests on the camp ; Beasts in the bathroom ; Chasing a giant ; Ranch in the Chaco ; Chaco journey ; A second search ; Moving a menagerie.