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Richard fell in love on his lunchbreak. It was the late 90s and he was browsing in his local library when he saw a face he’d never forget. Elegant, feathery, and more than likely extinct: the long-lost pink headed duck.

The sight of that picture would change his life forever. Over the last two decades he’s plunged all his time, energy and money from his job as an ambulance car driver into the search for the bird, not seen since the 1940s. That search has meant repeated trips to Myanmar, contending with remote environments and a volatile military regime. Now, building on his hard-won experience with a totally new approach and an upcoming expedition that will once again take him halfway round the world, could this finally be the year he proves his beloved duck is still out there?

This is not only the story of one man’s all-encompassing quest, but a look at what it means to be extinct – or not – and the ardent amateurs who try to bring species back from the edge.

Producer: Beth Sagar-Fenton
Editor: Chris Ledgard

Picture credit: Tim Halliday (courtesy of Carolyn Halliday)