Gerald Durrell
Gerald was a born in India in 1925, and was a British naturalist, conservationist, author, and educator. The founder of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust he was passionate about creating a reserve in which animals in need of protection could be kept and bred.
As a young man, Gerald went on animal collecting expeditions and he travelled the world collecting animals for the major British zoological gardens. He is perhaps best remembered for writing a number of books based on his life as an animal collector and enthusiast.
Gerald wanted to open his own zoo where he could protect endangered species and hopefully breed them to be reintroduced back into nature. Following an unsuccessful search for a site for his zoo in England, Gerald secured a location in the Channel Islands and Jersey Zoo opened to the public on 26th March 1959. As the zoo grew in size, so did the number of projects undertaken to save threatened wildlife in other parts of the world and so the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust was born.
Gerald Durrell made a huge contribution to the 20th century conservation movement, founding a number of branch conservation centers all over the world. He died on January 30th 1995 aged 70. He left a valuable legacy for future generations.
Jersey Zoo opened to the public on 26th March 1959 (Image from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust)
(Images from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust)
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