Between the years of 1954 and 1963,
in what was his first major presenting job at the BBC, David Attenborough
fronted Zoo, a documentary series that saw him traipse around the globe in
search of various animals; the objective being to bring them back to London Zoo
where they would then be homed. Viewers quickly warmed to both Attenborough and
the concept, and the show was a hit. Below: a letter from a frustrated
Attenborough, written from Indonesia in May of 1956 to his boss at the BBC back
in London, in which he describes the many obstacles currently faced by his
production crew in their quest to film, and capture, a Komodo dragon.
Indeed the problems persisted and,
although a Komodo dragon was eventually caught on camera, Attenborough returned
to London empty-handed.
Transcript
c/o British Embassy
Djalan Modjopahit 9
Djakarta
Indonesia
9th May
Dear Leonard,
How I wish I were doing Party
Politicals in London (please do not take this as a permanent wish - it will
fade in 3 months time). We are however having a frightful time. In spite of all
our letters and assurances from the Indonesian Embassy in London, everyone here
is being as difficult as possible.
On arrival, our travellers cheques
and English pounds were confiscated and all our gear and film impounded in
customs. The Australian airline baggage officer who was looking after us told
us with a forced smile that it would be cleared the next day, whereupon we
should be 'set like a jelly'. That evening he changed his tune a little and
implored us to go somewhere else as we had no idea what we were letting
ourselves in for. As illustration, he quoted the radar equipments which QANTAS
airlines had given to Djakarta airfield only to find that they had been charged
200% import tax. That, he said, was typical of the general attitude. Forms,
regulations and restrictions are everywhere. So far we have encountered the
following problems:
a) import duty on the equipment and
film of £2,600
b) absolute refusal to allow us to
catch the wretched dragon.
c) A state of terrorism in most of
the places we want to visit.
d) a warning that each island has
its own customs department which resents any instruction from Djakarta.
e) an artificial exchange rate
which trebles the price of everything.
These at the moment are our major
worries. We have, of course, numerous minor ones which need not detail.
To date we have visited apart from
H.E. The British Ambassador, the Ministries of Immigration, Home Affairs,
Foreign Affairs, Interior, Agriculture, Finance, Education with many of their
numerous sub-departments, and Indonesia Radio. As a result, we have achieved a
total remission of import duty (on paper - we haven't yet got the stuff),
permission to catch birds of paradise and a plan to fiddle an expedition under
Indonesian aegis to catch the dragon (which is permissible). As fast as we
hobble over the hurdles, however, new and more formidable ones rise in front of
us.
If all we had to do was to bash
through jungles and catch a few animals, our lives would be easy.
I know I am in no position to
complain ("Well, the boy would go") and in fact I am not doing
so with any seriousness for I feel sure that we shall at last get free of
officialdom and into the islands. When we do I am convinced we shall get
material which will knock ants into a crocked hat. Meanwhile, I am afraid our
expenses are going to be more than I anticipated and we may be sailing close to
the limit of our bank balance by the time we approach the end of our trip. For
safety's sake, would it be possible for Lynt to arrange for another £500 to be
put to our credit in the bank. I don't think we shall need it, but we should assuredly
be in a frightful mess if we did and didn't have it.
Remember me to anyone in the
department who still recalls me - I feel we've been here for years.
Yours as ever,
David
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