Main / Authors

Gerald Darrell - Biography

Darrell (Gerald Durrell) is a name associated with a love of nature and a passion for wildlife conservation. His life and work made him one of the most prominent naturalists and conservationists in the world.

Gerald was born on 7 January 1925 on the island of India in British India. His family was passionate about nature and he spent a lot of time studying and observing animals and plants in the environment. This passion for nature became the basis for his future career.

At a young age, he began to travel the world, collecting exotic animals and studying their behavior and biology. His first expedition to British Guiana in 1947 was the starting point for his career as a naturalist and writer.

He continued to travel the world, collecting animals for zoological gardens and studying them in a natural environment. His travels took him to various parts of the world, including Africa, Australia and South America. His experience and research informed many of his books and television programs.

In 1959, Gerald Darrell founded the Jersey Zoological Garden on Jersey Island in the Canal Archipelago. This zoo was created with the aim of preserving vulnerable and endangered animal species and breeding them in captivity. Darrell worked hard to make this zoo a place where animals can live in conditions as close as possible to their natural environment.

The creation of the zoological garden was one of the most significant achievements of Gerald Darrell in the field of conservation. The zoo is still considered a leading center for conservation of threatened species and wildlife education.