"The Lonely Dodo"

Jersey, although a very small island, is home to a very special animal park - the Gerald Durrell Wildlife Conservation Park - home to some of THE most endangered animals on Earth.

Durrell was the author of the famous book 'My family and other animals' and in it he tells the story of how he grew up in Corfu surrounded by wildlife and was more intrigued by bugs and insects than his school homework. A love of animals was nurtured within him as he grew up and years later he and his wife set up the Conservation centre on Jersey, aiming to protect those species most endangered in the wild so that the Dodo will, in terms of the Durrell Trust's tagline, always be the lonely Dodo and will never be joined by another species in the extinct category.

Orang-utans, lemurs, THE Galapagos Tortoise (most endangered species), Lowland Gorillas, Gibbons and Tamarins to name just a few all call Jersey home and this year they had successfully bred 2 Orang-utan babies and a gorilla baby - soo cute! :)

Although we have been to Jersey many many times, we don't visit the park every time. The last time we were here I was just a little bit smaller and still in primary school!! So this picture is a 'same picture, 15 years later' kind of picture! haha! The status is of Gerald Durrell and a lemur with its paw on his hand and after spending the day here seeing animals that maybe one day my children will only ever read about in animal books, it made me realise that when an animal asks for our help, we should do our very best to save them!

Although Gerald Durrell died in 1995, the 'Durrell' Conservation Trust and the dedicated mass of people that he left behind are continuing his work and long may it continue.

In the words of Sir David Attenborough himself - "I do assure you, that the world needs Durrell..."

# The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust #