Gerald Durrell facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Gerald Malcolm Durrell, who was also known as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (born January 7, 1925 – died January 30, 1995), was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, and television presenter. He loved animals very much!

He started the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the island of Jersey in 1959. Gerald Durrell wrote about 40 books, mostly about his life collecting animals and his love for them. His most famous book is My Family and Other Animals (1956). This book and others about his family's time in Greece were made into TV shows and a movie. He was the youngest brother of the famous writer Lawrence Durrell.

Early Life and Learning

Gerald Durrell was born in Jamshedpur, British India, on January 7, 1925. He was the youngest of five children. His parents were born in India but had English and Irish backgrounds. His father was an engineer. When Gerald was a baby, he spent a lot of time with his ayah (a nursemaid). He remembered visiting a zoo in India and said that visit made him love animals for his whole life.

His family moved to Britain in 1928, just before his father passed away. They settled in South London. Gerald went to Wickwood School, but he often pretended to be sick so he could stay home.

Life in Corfu

In 1935, Gerald's mother, Louisa Durrell, moved to the Greek island of Corfu with Gerald and his siblings, Leslie and Margaret. Their oldest brother, Lawrence, was already there. It was on Corfu that Gerald started collecting and keeping local animals as pets.

The family lived on Corfu until 1939. This time became the inspiration for Gerald's famous books like My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts, and Relatives, and The Garden of the Gods. These years also became the setting for TV shows and a movie. During this time, Gerald was taught at home by different private teachers, who were mostly friends of his brother Lawrence.

One of his best friends and mentors was Theodore Stephanides, a Greek-British doctor and scientist. Theodore greatly influenced young Gerald. Together, they explored Corfu's animals, which Gerald kept in all sorts of places, even test tubes and bathtubs!

Other important naturalists who influenced Gerald when he was young included Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, Jean-Henri Fabre, and Gilbert White.

London and Whipsnade Zoo

In 1939, when World War II started, Gerald, his mother, his brother Leslie, and their Greek maid Maria Kondos moved back to Britain. It was hard to find a job during and after the war, especially for someone who was home-schooled. But Gerald was clever and worked as a helper at an aquarium and a pet store. He wrote about some of these challenges in his book Fillets of Plaice.

He was called to serve in the war in 1943, but he was excused from military duty because of health reasons. Instead, he was asked to work on a farm to help with the war effort. After the war, Gerald joined Whipsnade Zoo as a junior keeper. This was a dream come true for him! He even said that the first word he could clearly say was "zoo." His book Beasts in My Belfry shares stories from this time.

Early Animal Expeditions

Gerald left Whipsnade Zoo in May 1946 to go on trips to collect wildlife. At first, he couldn't join any trips because he didn't have enough experience. His first trip was in 1947 to the British Cameroons (now part of Cameroon) with a bird expert named John Yealland. This trip was paid for with money he inherited from his father when he turned 21. The animals he brought back were sold to zoos in London, Chester, Paignton, Bristol, and Belle Vue.

He went on two more trips with a fellow zookeeper, Ken Smith. They went back to the British Cameroons in 1949 and to British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1950. On one of these trips, he met the Fon of Bafut, Achirimbi II, a powerful West African leader who helped him plan future missions.

Gerald made sure his captured animals were well-fed and cared for. He didn't just trap animals that looked good or would sell for a lot of money. This was different from how other animal collectors worked back then. Because of his careful methods, he often ran out of money by the end of his trips. He also had a disagreement with the head of the London Zoo, which made it hard for him to get a job at most zoos. He eventually found work at the aquarium at Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester.

On February 26, 1951, Gerald married Jacqueline ('Jacquie') Sonia Wolfenden. They ran away to get married because her father didn't approve. Jacquie went with him on most of his animal expeditions and helped him start and manage the Jersey Zoo. She also wrote funny books to help raise money for animal conservation.

Gerald started writing funny stories about his life to earn money, with Jacquie's help and advice from his brother Lawrence. He needed money after getting married, and later he wrote to fund his expeditions and conservation work. His first book, The Overloaded Ark, was a huge success! This encouraged him to write more books. The money from his books helped him pay for a fourth trip to South America in 1954. However, this trip was not successful because of political problems in Paraguay.

Starting the Jersey Zoo

When My Family and Other Animals was published in 1956, Gerald Durrell became a well-known author and naturalist. The money he earned from this best-selling book helped pay for his next expedition.

Gerald became unhappy with how zoos were run at the time. He believed zoos should mainly help save endangered species and help them have babies. This made him think about starting his own zoo. So, his 1957 trip to Cameroon was mainly to collect animals that would be the first residents of his new zoo.

This expedition was also filmed. It was Gerald's first time making a movie about his work with animals. The film, To Bafut with Beagles, and his radio show, Encounters with Animals, made Gerald a regular on BBC nature programs for many years. This also helped raise money for his conservation projects.

When he returned from Bafut, Gerald and Jacquie stayed with his sister Margaret at her guesthouse. He kept his animals in her gardens and garage temporarily while he looked for a place to build his zoo. Sadly, both Bournemouth and Poole cities said no to his idea for a zoo. This experience gave him material for his book A Zoo in My Luggage.

The Zoo and the Trust

Dodo statues stand at the gates of the Durrell Wildlife Park

Gerald Durrell started the Jersey Zoological Park in 1959 to house his growing collection of animals. He found the perfect spot by chance: a 17th-century manor house called Les Augres Manor. Gerald leased the manor and set up his zoo on its grounds. In the same year, he went on another successful trip to South America to collect endangered species. The zoo opened to the public on March 26, 1959.

As the zoo grew, so did the number of projects to save threatened wildlife around the world. Gerald was key in starting the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now called Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust) on July 6, 1963. This trust was created to handle the growing challenges of managing the zoo, wildlife, and their natural homes.

In 1971, the Trust opened an international branch in the United States to help with conservation efforts worldwide. That year, the Trust bought Les Augres Manor, giving the zoo a permanent home.

Gerald's work led to the first World Conference on Breeding Endangered Species in Captivity as an Aid to their Survival in 1972 in Jersey. This is now one of the most important conferences in this field. Also in 1972, Princess Anne became a supporter of the Trust, which brought it more attention and helped raise money.

In the 1970s, the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust became a leader in captive breeding. They helped species like the lowland gorilla and various animals from Mauritius. Gerald visited Mauritius many times and worked with conservationist Carl Jones to save animals there. They started breeding programs for native birds and reptiles, helped restore Round Island, trained local staff, and set up conservation centers. This led to the creation of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation in 1984.

Gerald's first wife, Jacquie Durrell, separated from him and they divorced in 1979.

Gerald met his second wife, Lee McGeorge Durrell, in 1977 when he gave a talk at Duke University. They married in 1979. She wrote several books with him, including The Amateur Naturalist. After his death, she became the Honorary Director of the Trust.

In 1978, Gerald started a training center for conservationists at the zoo, which he called his "mini-university." By 2005, over a thousand biologists, naturalists, zoo vets, and zoo architects from 104 countries had attended this International Training Centre. Gerald also helped form the Captive Breeding Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union in 1982.

Gerald founded Wildlife Preservation Trust Canada (now Wildlife Preservation Canada) in 1985. In 1989, Gerald and Lee, along with David Attenborough, helped start the World Land Trust. Their first goal was to buy rainforest land in Belize to protect it.

In 1990, the Trust started a conservation program in Madagascar, similar to the one in Mauritius. Gerald visited Madagascar to begin breeding programs for unique animals like the aye-aye.

Gerald chose the dodo as the logo for both the Jersey Zoo and the Trust. The dodo was a flightless bird from Mauritius that became extinct in the 17th century. The children's part of the trust is called the Dodo Club. After Gerald's death, the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust was renamed the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust on March 26, 1999, the zoo's 40th anniversary.

In his book A Zoo in My Luggage (1957), Gerald Durrell wrote: "To me, destroying an animal species is a crime, just like destroying something else we can't bring back, such as a Rembrandt painting or the Acropolis."

Later Life and Passing

Gerald Durrell's active outdoor life led to health problems in the 1980s. He had hip surgery to help with arthritis. His health got worse after his trip to Madagascar in 1990. Gerald had a liver transplant on March 28, 1994. He passed away from an infection on January 30, 1995, shortly after his 70th birthday, in Jersey General Hospital. His ashes are buried at Jersey Zoo, under a plaque with a quote by William Beebe:

"The beauty and genius of a work of art may be re-conceived, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet again inspire the composer; but when the last individual of a race of living beings breathes no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again." (The Bird, 1906)

A special event celebrating Gerald Durrell's life and work was held at the Natural History Museum in London on June 28, 1995. Friends like David Attenborough and Princess Anne attended.

Ideas for Zoos

Gerald Durrell had very forward-thinking ideas about what a 20th-century zoo should be, especially in his book Stationary Ark. His main ideas were:

The main goal of a zoo should be to keep and protect critically endangered species that need captive breeding to survive.
Zoos can also teach people about wildlife and nature, and help scientists learn about animal habits.
Zoos should not just be for entertainment. Animals that are not threatened should be put back into their natural homes.
An animal should only be in a zoo as a last choice, when all efforts to save it in the wild have failed.

Gerald Durrell's ideas about animal enclosures also showed his priorities. Here are the rules for building enclosures at Jersey Zoo:

Enclosures should first be built for the animal's comfort (including a private shelter). Second, they should be easy for the animal keeper to use. Finally, they should be good for visitors to see the animals.
The size of an enclosure should depend on how big the animal's natural territory would be.
Animals living together should not only be from similar environments but also get along well with each other and other species.
Every animal deserves its favorite food, sometimes with fun variations. They also deserve a mate they choose, and a nice, interesting environment.

Durrell Wildlife Park was the first zoo to keep only endangered breeding species. It has been a leader in captive breeding. The International Training Centre and the conference on captive breeding are also important firsts.

Gerald Durrell first faced strong disagreement from some in the zoo community when he suggested captive breeding. But he was proven right after successfully breeding many different species. One of his biggest opponents was George Cansdale, the head of the London Zoo.

Books

Gerald Durrell's books have a funny, relaxed style that makes fun of himself and those around him. His most famous book is My Family and Other Animals (1956), which tells about his wonderful childhood on Corfu. It was made into two TV series and a film. The book makes lighthearted fun of his whole family, especially his older brother Lawrence, who became a famous novelist. Even with the jokes, Gerald and Lawrence were close friends their whole lives.

Gerald always said he wrote books to earn money to help protect the environment, not because he loved writing. He compared himself to his brother Lawrence, saying: "The small difference between us is that he loves writing and I don't. For me, it's just a way to make money so I can do my animal work, nothing more."

Gerald wrote for magazines in both Britain and America, including Harper's, Atlantic Monthly, and the Sunday Times. He also reviewed books for New York Times. Parts of his books and stories were used by other publishers. His works have been translated into 31 languages and made into TV shows and movies. He had many fans in Europe, Russia, Israel, and other countries like India. The British Library has a collection of Gerald Durrell's books.

Illustrators

Gerald Durrell was a talented artist himself, but he worked with many illustrators over the years. His first book, The Overloaded Ark, was illustrated by Sabine Baur. Two of his most frequent collaborators were Ralph Thompson and Edward Mortelmans. Their illustrations were mostly sketches of animals.

Gerald also wrote many beautifully illustrated children's books later in his life. Graham Percy illustrated The Fantastic Flying Journey and The Fantastic Dinosaur Adventure. Toby the Tortoise and Keeper were illustrated by Keith West. His Puppy board books were illustrated by Cliff Wright.

Awards and Legacy

Statue of Gerald Durrell at Jersey Zoo, sculpted by John Doubleday

In 1981, Gerald Durrell received the Order of the Golden Ark from Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.
In 1982, he was awarded the OBE.
The National Youth Music Theatre performed a musical called The Carnival of the Animals in Jersey in 1984, as a tribute to Gerald Durrell.
In 1988, Gerald was honored by the United Nations for his environmental achievements.
The University of Kent started the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) in 1989. It was the first graduate school in the United Kingdom to offer degrees in conservation.
The Gerald Durrell Memorial Funds, started in 1996, give money for conservation projects every year.
Whipsnade Zoo opened a new island for primates dedicated to Gerald Durrell in 1998.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition gives the Gerald Durrell Award for the best photo of an endangered species, starting in 2001.
The Durrell School in Corfu, established in 2002, offers courses and tours following in the footsteps of the Durrell family in Corfu.
In 2006, the town hall of Corfu renamed a park "Bosketto Durrell" after Gerald and Lawrence Durrell.
The Gerald Durrell Endemic Wildlife Sanctuary in Mauritius is home to a very successful breeding program for rare birds and reptiles.
The Durrell Wildlife Park has a bronze statue of Gerald Durrell by John Doubleday.
Jersey released stamps honoring the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.
Rat Island in Saint Lucia is being renamed Durrell Island because of the conservation work done there by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.
The Visitors' Centre at the Belize Zoo is named the Gerald Durrell Visitors' Centre in his honor.

Animals Named After Him

Many animals have been named after Gerald Durrell, showing his important work in conservation:

Salanoia durrelli: a type of carnivore from Madagascar. (2010)
Centrolene durrellorum: a glassfrog from Ecuador, named after Gerald and his wife Lee Durrell for their work in saving global biodiversity. (2005)
Nactus serpensinsula durrellorum: a type of gecko from Round Island, named after Gerald and Lee Durrell for helping to save this gecko and other animals on the island.
Ceylonthelphusa durrelli: Durrell's freshwater crab, a very rare new species of Sri Lankan freshwater crab.
Benthophilus durrelli: Don tadpole-goby, a new species of goby fish. (2004)
Mahea durrelli Kment 2005: a new species of shield bug from Madagascar.

Major Expeditions

Gerald Durrell went on many expeditions to collect animals and help with conservation. Here are some of his most important trips:

Year	Place	Main Goal	Book	Film	Key Animals
1947 / 1948	Mamfe, British Cameroons (now Cameroon)	Collecting animals for British zoos	The Overloaded Ark	—	Angwantibo, giant otter shrew
1949	Mamfe and Bafut, British Cameroons	Collecting animals for British zoos	The Bafut Beagles	—	Galago, hairy frog, African golden cat
1950	British Guiana (now Guyana)	Collecting animals for British zoos	Three Singles to Adventure	—	Giant otter, poison arrow frogs, Surinam toad
1953 / 1954	Argentina and Paraguay	Collecting animals (partially sponsored)	The Drunken Forest	—	Burrowing owl, hornero, anaconda
1957	Bafut, British Cameroons	Collecting animals for his future zoo	A Zoo in My Luggage	To Bafut With Beagles	Patas, galago, grey-necked rockfowl
1958	Patagonia, Argentina	Collecting animals for his Jersey Zoo	The Whispering Land	Look (Argentinian Expedition)	South American fur seal, Patagonian hare
1962	Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand	Filming the BBC Nature series Two in the Bush	Two in the Bush	Two in the Bush	Kakapo, kaka, kea
1965	Sierra Leone	Collecting animals for Jersey Zoo and a BBC TV series	Section of Catch Me a Colobus	Catch Me a Colobus	Colobus, African leopard, red river hog
1976, 1977	Mauritius and other Mascarene Islands	Conservation missions and animal collecting for local breeding and Jersey Zoo	Golden Bats and Pink Pigeons	The Mauritius Conservation Mission, The Round Island Project	Pink pigeon, Rodrigues fruit bat, Round Island boa
1984	Soviet Union	Filming the Channel 4 TV series Durrell in Russia	Durrell in Russia	Durrell in Russia	Przewalski's horse, saiga, cranes
1990	Madagascar	Conservation mission and animal collecting for local breeding and Jersey Zoo	The Aye-Aye and I	To the Island of Aye-Aye	Aye-aye, indri, ring-tailed lemur

Autobiographical Books

The Overloaded Ark (1953)
Three Singles to Adventure (1954)
The Bafut Beagles (1954)
The New Noah (1955)
The Drunken Forest (1956)
My Family and Other Animals (1956) - first in the Corfu trilogy
Encounters with Animals (1958)
A Zoo in My Luggage (1960)
The Whispering Land (1961)
Menagerie Manor (1964)
Two in the Bush (1966)
Birds, Beasts, and Relatives (1969) - second in the Corfu trilogy
Fillets of Plaice (1971)
Catch Me a Colobus (1972)
Beasts in My Belfry (1973)
The Stationary Ark (1976)
Golden Bats And Pink Pigeons (1977)
The Garden of the Gods (1978) - third in the Corfu trilogy
The Picnic And Suchlike Pandemonium (1979)
Ark on the Move (1982)
How to Shoot an Amateur Naturalist (1984)
Durrell in Russia (with Lee Durrell) (1986)
The Ark's Anniversary (1990)
Marrying Off Mother and Other Stories (1991)
The Aye-Aye And I (1992)

Non-fiction Books

Island Zoo (1961)
Look at Zoos (1961)
A Practical Guide for the Amateur Naturalist (with Lee Durrell) (1982)

Fiction Books

The Donkey Rustlers (1968)
Rosy Is My Relative (1968)
The Talking Parcel (1974)
The Mockery Bird (1981)
The Fantastic Flying Journey: An Adventure in Natural History (1987)
The Fantastic Dinosaur Adventure: A New Adventure in Natural History (1989)
Keeper (1990)
Toby the Tortoise (1991)
Puppy's Wild Time (1993)
Puppy's Beach Adventure (1993)
Puppy's Pet Pals (1993)
Puppy's Field Day (1993)

Compilations

The Best of Gerald Durrell (edited by Lee Durrell) (1996)

Books Edited by Durrell

My Favourite Animal Stories (1962)

Radio and Filmography

Featuring Gerald Durrell

Encounters With Animals, Radio series, BBC (1957)
To Bafut With Beagles, TV series, BBC (1958)
Two in the Bush, TV series, BBC (1963)
Catch Me a Colobus, TV series, BBC (1966)
The Garden of the Gods, TV series, BBC (1967)
The Stationary Ark, TV series (1975)
Animals Are My Life, episode in The World About Us, BBC (1978)
Ark on the Move, TV series (1982)
The Amateur Naturalist, TV series (1983)
Durrell in Russia, TV series (1986)
Durrell's Ark, documentary, BBC (1988)
Durrell and Other Animals, TV documentary with David Attenborough, BBC (1995)

About Gerald Durrell

The Wild Life of Gerald Durrell, BBC Four (December 2005)
Wildlife in a War Zone, Animal Planet (May 2006)
Fierce Creatures, a 1997 movie about a zoo, was dedicated to Gerald Durrell.

Movies and TV Shows Based on His Books

The Talking Parcel, Animated movie (1979)
My Family and Other Animals, 10-episode TV series, BBC (1987)
My Family And Other Animals, film version of his autobiography (2005)
The Durrells, 4-season TV series, inspired by Durrell's books about his family's time on Corfu (2016–2019)

Screenplays

Tarka the Otter, movie (1979)

Time Capsule Message

A time capsule buried at Jersey Zoo in 1988 contains this famous quote by Gerald Durrell, often used to encourage conservation:

We hope that there will be fireflies and glow-worms at night to guide you and butterflies in hedges and forests to greet you.
We hope that your dawns will have an orchestra of bird song and that the sound of their wings and the opalescence of their colouring will dazzle you.
We hope that there will still be the extraordinary varieties of creatures sharing the land of the planet with you to enchant you and enrich your lives as they have done for us.
We hope that you will be grateful for having been born into such a magical world.