His legacy

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust’s mission is to save species from extinction, and it has a proven track record of doing just that.

Our work in Jersey has a completely different focus from that of traditional zoos; the animals in Jersey are here as ambassadors for their species in the wild, they are here to help us all learn about them as well as ourselves. Today, more and more animals are becoming endangered, and Gerry’s dream of not having a need for a centre for championing endangered animals is sadly not to be realised in our lifetime.

“He was responsible for changing people’s attitudes to zoology and changing their agenda. He showed them that small animals could be as interesting as apes and elephants. His work with endangered species was incredible in that he could persuade them to breed in captivity. He then returned them to the wild. He was a pioneer with a marvellous sense of humour.” Sir David Attenborough

“The zoo which Durrell founded on Jersey has been one of the very few that has successfully mixed displaying animals to the public in a sensible and humane way with effective involvement in field conservation. Many members of the zoo world originally saw him as a renegade. But he was a renegade who was right.” David Jones, Ex Director of London Zoo

“Durrell had little time for people who professed to be conservationists, but spent all their time flying from meeting to meeting. ‘Decide what needs doing and do it’ could have been his motto.” John Burton, Ex Director, Fauna & Flora Preservation Society

“Perhaps his legacy is that he showed us all how to achieve goals. He set up a zoo, he set up a training centre to teach his philosophy of conservation, he combined academic study of ecology with practical conservation at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent and, best of all, he introduced millions of people to the amazing world right under their noses.” Edward Whitley, Journalist & Trustee

“He was one of the first people to wake the world up to what was happening to the environment. It was his books and programmes that helped a whole new generation of environmentalists come into being.” Charles Secrett, Director, Friends of the Earth

His early efforts were denounced by zoologists, but now his work is universally acknowledged as an important weapon in the fight to save animals from extinction. Daily Express

Durrell never had much time for the modern environmentalists, far too serious and theoretical were their modern notions of sustainable development and community – “Start with the animals and everything else falls into place” was his philosophical maxim. He shared with today’s thinkers a deep sense of the onrushing destruction of the physical world. It depressed him deeply but he turned his sadness into absolute delight in persuading anyone who he met that life was really full of the most extraordinarily beautiful creatures. The Guardian