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6 unusual facts about Durrell Wildlife park


Captive breeding

The idea was popularized among modern conservationists independently by Peter Scott and Gerald Durrell in the 1950s and 1960s, founders of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and Jersey Zoo, who demonstrated success with a wide variety of life forms in the 1970s ranging from birds (e.g. Pink Pigeon), mammals (e.g. Pygmy Hog), reptiles (e.g. Round Island Boa) and amphibians (e.g. Poison arrow frogs).

Chestnut-backed Thrush

According to the Zoological Information Management System (ZIMS) there are only 19 European institutions which hold this species, including: - Birdworld, Bristol Zoo, Chester Zoo, Durrell Wildlife Park, Burgers' Zoo and Waddesdon Manor aviary.

Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology

The institute awards diplomas to graduates of the International Training Centre for captive breeding and zoo specialists at the Durrell Wildlife Park, founded by Gerald Durrell.

Jacquie Durrell

Jacquie also helped run Jersey Zoo and with the founding and running of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust), though she never held any official post.

She assisted him on several of his animal collecting expeditions, and with the Jersey Zoo (now Durrell Wildlife Park) that he founded.

Ralph Thompson

During this period of time, he visited Gerald Durrell's Jersey Zoo numerous times to sketch his subjects, especially when working on the illustrations of Menagerie Manor.


Hooded Pitta

In the London Zoo, they are kept in a large walk through aviary in the restored Blackburn Pavilion bird house, while at the Durrell Wildlife park they are in a large walk-through exhibit with birds such as Palawan Peacock-Pheasants and White-rumped Shamas.


see also