Conservation Cliffhangers

When Gerald Durrell started out on his journey in conservation, he hoped that his actions would lead to a recovery in numbers of those animals close to extinction.

Over the course of the last 50 years his hopes have been realised, and habitat restoration, community participation and increased local expertise, which were all pioneered by Durrell as means to save endangered species, have been guiding worldwide conservation ever since.

Today 'Durrell's Army' marches on with that same vision and with a collection of species that have been brought back from the brink of extinction.

But think - what would the world look like today had Durrell not taken those first steps…

…The ploughshare tortoise

This species may not have had a future at all had Durrell not taken action in 1986 and set up a joint initiative with the government of Madagascar to establish a captive breeding programme for these critically endangered animals. By the end of 2008 we had released 40 captive-bred tortoises back in to the wild and another 44 will be released over the next three years.

…The pygmy hog

Thought to be extinct in the 1960’s but rediscovered in 1971, the pygmy hog has been targeted by Durrell and our partners for research, captive breeding and conservation activities for over 30 years. In 2008 we released the first of the captive-bred hogs back in to the wild. Having ensured these animals didn’t disappear forever, we now need to ensure the protection of their wild habitat and their new populations.

…The St Lucia Amazon parrot

The island of St Lucia would be much less colourful without its national bird had the St. Lucia Forestry Department and Durrell not been there 30 years ago to work on its protection. Today we are conducting a thorough survey of these parrots to determine how successful our conservation efforts have been and to ensure they do not face the threat of extinction in the future.

…Livingstone’s fruit bat

Along with the rivers, forests and local communities of the Comoros Islands, the future of the ‘flying fox’ will be less fragile with Durrell’s team of bat specialists and international partners formulating an action plan based on the last 20 years of work to protect these animals, their habitat and the people who share their island.

…The Floreana mockingbird

Common when Charles Darwin visited the Galápagos archipelago, it all but disappeared soon afterwards. This bird, which sparked Darwin’s thoughts on natural selection, is now restricted to two small islets where only about 136 birds are thought to exist. Durrell is using its expertise in captive breeding birds to build a population ready for release back to their original home, the island of Floreana, where they have not been seen since 1868.

…The amphibians of Latin America

Our knowledge and conservation track record with amphibians are crucial to the survival of thousands of them that face extinction from a killer disease. Time is against us, but our initiatives with local partners in Latin America will turn around the fortunes of these fascinating creatures that are disappearing faster than any mammal or bird species.

…Durrell’s night gecko

We are working to restore the ecosystems of small islands off Mauritius, including putting back this gecko that disappeared from its original habitat many years ago. Named after our Founder, the species is a key component of island biodiversity, and if populations are not re-established, the future survival of the islands and their wildlife will be at risk.

We call these projects our Conservation Cliffhangers - the stories that highlight some of the conservation problems that many animals – and people – are facing today, and how Durrell’s key approaches make us part of the solution.

What would the world look like without Durrell? There would probably be no Mauritius kestrels, no echo parakeets and no pink pigeons – three of the species that Durrell has saved from extinction. Without Durrell many more species would be facing the threat of extinction. The world would certainly be a poorer place.

You can help make a difference to the future of our Cliffhanger species, and the many other animals that we work with. By making a donation today you will be supporting Durrell’s Army in its efforts to reach more animals, habitats and local communities around the world. Please every penny given to Durrell is worth many times that in its impact on worldwide conservation.

Thank you.