The
Jersey Zoo is a 25-acre
zoological park established in 1959 on the island of
Jersey in the
English Channel. It was founded by naturalist and author
Gerald Durrell (1925-1995), who began his career capturing animals for other zoos, but thought that the facilities needed to concentrate more on animal preservation rather than just entertainment. He tells the story of starting the zoo in his book
A Zoo in my Luggage.
The Jersey Zoo has always concentrated on rare and endangered species. Despite a lack on emphasis on crowd-pleasing beasts, and its relatively out-of-the-way location, the zoo reports more than a quarter-million annual visitors. It has some 1,900 birds, animals and fish, comprising 190 species.