Description of the attraction
Jersey Zoo was founded in 1959 by the world renowned naturalist Gerald Durrell (1925 - 1995). He was the founder of the Wildlife Conservation Foundation, which now bears his name - the Darrell Foundation.
The zoo is visited by up to 150,000 tourists a year, which is a lot, given that the zoo located on the island is not so easy to get to, and there are no large spectacular animals that usually attract visitors. The zoo works mainly with rare and endangered species.
Gerald Durrell organized zoological expeditions to different parts of the world and brought rare animals to various zoos in Europe. However, over time, he became involved in the rescue of endangered species and for this purpose he organized his own zoological park, the main task of which is to preserve in captivity those species that are threatened with destruction in the wild. At the same time, much attention is paid not to spectacular mammals like rhinos or elephants, but to species, the existence of which non-specialists often do not even suspect.
The Darrell Foundation participates in many international programs to save endangered species. The Foundation also pays attention to the preservation of rare species of flora and fauna in Jersey itself - many of these species are endemic, i.e. are not found anywhere else.
The zoo itself now contains about 200 species of animals - mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The zoo tries to bring the conditions of keeping animals as close as possible to natural ones, and visitors cannot always see this or that animal. A lot of research work is being done here; much attention is paid to educational programs, as well as training of zoo personnel.
Gerald Durrell chose the dodo as the symbol of the Foundation, a flightless dodo bird that was exterminated by humans in the 17th century.
