Durrell began his career capturing animals for other zoos, but thought that the facilities needed to concentrate more on animal conservation rather than mere entertainment. He tells the story of starting the zoo in his book A Zoo in my Luggage.
Jersey Zoo has always concentrated on rare and endangered species. Despite a lack on emphasis on large, crowd-pleasing animals, and its relatively out-of-the-way location, the zoo reports more than a quarter-million visitors annually. It has some 1,900 birds, fish and other animals, comprising 190 species.
The zoo is located at Les Augres Manor, Trinity, Jersey, 5 miles north of St Helier. It officailly opened on March 26 1959.
Since 1964, the zoo has been home to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (formerly the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust).
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