Zoo Quest in Paraguay

Zoo Quest in Paraguay describes Attenborough’s journey to find armadillos in Paraguay, encountering many other animals in the process: the smallest bird in the world - the exquisite hummingbird - and one of the largest - the ostrich-like rhea, among many others. Travelling by boat to the far interior he meets indigenous villagers, lone ranchers and musicians; visits the plain-lands of the vast cattle-ranching estates, and rides on horseback through the parched, inhospitable country of the Gran Chaco.

The Zoo Quest series details David Attenborough’s early expeditions of, setting him on his path as the world’s most widely viewed documentarian of natural history and a much-loved British national treasure. As part of the ground-breaking 1954 BBC television series developed in association with London Zoo, which would form the basis for the documentary work that would later propel him to global acclaim, the Zoo Quest books presents Attenborough’s earliest accounts of expeditions to far-flung regions in Latin America, Asia, and Oceania.

In this collection, you will read a young Attenborough as he traverses distant lands, meets local peoples, and of course as he comes into contact with all manner of wildlife. To read Zoo Quest is to catch a glimpse of how the world’s foremost conservationist began his career. The books display his characteristic charm and concern for all things natural, offering the reader not only a greater appreciation for and understanding of Attenborough, but also of nature and the world.