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Gerald Durrell

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Scientist

The Resume

    (January 7, 1925-January 30, 1995)
    Born in Jamshedpur, India
    Naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, and author
    Founded the Jersey Zoo (1959)
    Founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (1968)
    Wrote 'The Overloaded Ark' (1953), 'The Bafut Beagles' (1954), 'My Family and Other Animals' (1956), 'A Zoo in My Luggage' (1960), 'Menagerie Manor' (1964), 'Birds, Beasts, and Relatives' (1969), 'The Garden of the Gods (Fauna and Family)' (1978), and 'The Aye-Aye and I' (1992)
    Also wrote a series of 'Puppy Tales' children's books
    Brother of novelist Lawrence Durrell

Why he might be annoying:

    He frequently faked being sick to avoid being sent to school.
    His first wife divorced him over his heavy drinking.
    He said about the difference between him and Lawrence, 'He loves writing and I don't. To me, it's simply a way to make money, which enables me to do my animal work, nothing more.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He claimed the first word he could pronounce clearly was 'zoo.'
    He was one of the first zookeepers to see the preservation of endangered species as the primary mission of zoos.
    He coordinated several large-scale conservation projects in Mauritius, including the ecological recovery of Round Island.
    He and David Attenborough formed the World Land Trust to purchase and protect environmentally sensitive lands (1989).
    He wrote, 'To me the extirpation of an animal species is a criminal offence, just as the destruction of something else that we cannot recreate or replace, such as a Rembrandt or the Acropolis, would be.'

Credit: C. Fishel


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    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
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