Jersey Zoological Park

Jersey Zoological Park or Jersey Zoo is a 25-acre (100,000 m²) zoological park established in 1959 on the island of Jersey in the English Channel by naturalist and author Gerald Durrell (1925-1995). It is now officially called Durrell after its founder, and in an attempt to shed its stereotype as a Zoo. It has approximately 150,000 visitors per year, despite a lack of emphasis on large, crowd-pleasing animals, and its relatively out-of-the-way location; visitor numbers tend to vary with the tourist trade to Jersey.

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. It has mammals, birds, amphibians & reptiles, comprising over 190 species.

Durrell primarily works with species from locations which are ecologically rich in diversity and not found anywhere else. Such locations are Madagascar; lemurs, ducks, mongooses, tortoises, Mauritius; the pink pigeon, kestrel, and echo parakeet, Comores; both species of bat, Brazil; tamarins and poison dart frogs, South East Asia; Bali Starling, Orangutans, Macaques and Java Sparrow, Caribbean; Numerous birds and snakes, and even Jersey; Agile Frog, Common Toad, Common and Sand Lizards

The zoo is located at Les Augrès Manor, Trinity, Jersey, 5 miles north of Saint Helier. It officially opened on March 26 1959.

Since 1964, the zoo has been home to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (formerly the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust).