David Attenborough unearthed shirtless photos from first BBC documentary 70 years ago

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A shirtless and tanned  David Attenborough was the unexpected face of adventure in 1956 as he embarked on a quest to track down the elusive Komodo dragon in Borneo.

At just 30 years old, the young broadcaster was already proving himself a star in the making, with his ground-breaking BBC series Zoo Quest captivating audiences back home.

Sir David, now 98 and recognisable to today's generation by his distinctive voice and current grey-haired look, first joined the programme and hit screens in 1954, initially working behind the scenes as a producer.

But when zoologist Jack Lester, the show’s original host, fell ill, David stepped in front of the camera—a move that would set the course for a legendary career spanning nearly seven decades.

The early series of Zoo Quest, filmed in Sierra Leone, featured Sir David meeting villagers and astonishing them by playing back recordings on his tape recorder.

Sir David age, 30, on Zoo Quest in 1956 (Image: BBC)

By the second series, he was in the thick of the action, braving the Bornean heat with a bottle of water in hand and venturing deep into the jungle in search of rare wildlife. Cameraman Charles Lagus captured it all, producing some of the most compelling footage of the era.

Although the series aired in black and white, it was later discovered that the original footage had been filmed in colour. The rediscovered tapes were broadcast in 2016 to celebrate David’s 90th birthday.

Reflecting on the discovery, David said: "I was astonished when I was told about the existence of the colour film. I thought it was impossible because we shot in black and white."

The success of Zoo Quest made the naturalist a household name and paved the way for his role as controller of BBC Two, where he introduced colour television.

David showed his care for animals nearly 70 years ago (Image: BBC)

David Attenborough unearthed photos from first BBC documentary 70 years ago (Image: Getty)

In 1979, he launched the 13-part series Life on Earth, the first of many landmark productions, including The Living Planet, The Life of Birds, and Blue Planet. And decades after his broadcasting debut, the famous conservationist is showing no signs of slowing down.

In recent years, Attenborough has shared his hopes of reaching 100. The biologist has partly attributed his health and stamina to dietary changes.

Although he doesn’t consider himself strictly vegetarian, he has largely cut out red meat from his diet. However, despite his healthy dietary choices and current mental sharpness, Attenborough has admitted he is worried about cognitive decline as he ages.

In an interview with Anderson Cooper in 2021, he revealed his concern about potentially facing a condition like Alzheimer’s, describing the idea of becoming “helpless” as one of his greatest fears.