Former Top Gear presenter will be venturing into the Amazon for a new Sky1 documentary titled Richard Hammond’s Jungle Quest…Not The Jungle as in ‘I’m A Celeb’

He’ll photograph rare animals including the three-toed sloth, pink river dolphins and harpy eagles.

“Trekking through the Amazon rainforest with a camera to photograph wildlife was a childhood dream,” said Hammond.

“The reality was, I discovered, far, far tougher than I had imagined, but the moments when I saw and caught images of the elusive creatures and fleeting encounters that make the place so special, so unique and yet so fragile were breathtaking and some of the best in my life.

“I hope viewers will feel they have been there too… and most of all, I hope people enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed making it.”

“This is a different take on a trip to the Amazon Rainforest,” said Sky’s commissioning editor of factual Siobhan Mulholland. “It’s a personal travel tale and a much bigger story all in one.”

The two-part documentary will be directed by Graham Booth, and executive producer Dominic Bowles has worked with Hammond before on Stupid of Science for the National Geographic Channel.

“From the moment I began discussing the project with Richard, his enthusiasm and passion for photographing the animals of the Amazon was apparent,” he said Bowles.

Hammond’s love for cars is well-known, and he’s also previously fuelled his passion for science as host of the first three series of Sky1’s popular Brainiac: Science Abuse.

Richard Hammond’s Jungle Quest is expected to air on Sky1 later this year and is backed by Sky Rainforest Rescue, Sky’s partnership with WWF.

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