From Library Journal
A prolific author who never fails to be entertaining, Durrell brings us up to date on his Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. Ever since he was six years old, Durrell knew he wanted to have his own zoo. How he accomplished that--and became a respected naturalist in the process--will delight readers. Demonstrating a talent for presenting strong conservation issues in a humorous and captivating way, Durrell covers not only the development of his private zoo but the associated education activities as well (including a school for conservationists from foreign countries). Dedicated to the idea that zoos need not be a "sterile Victorian menagerie," he has earned the respect of colleagues worldwide in showing how zoos can be a vital force in the conservation and reintroduction of threatened species to their native environments. Readers will also enjoy such amusing incidents as a visit from Princess Anne and the chimps that came to dinner. A title to put on your reading list for a lighthearted romp through the animal kingdom.
- Edell Marie Peters, Brookfield P.L., Wis.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
YA-- Durrell tells the story of his quest to create a zoo in which animals could recuperate after injury; later to be set free; and, more importantly, a place where they could be saved from extinction through captive breeding. With wit and satirical humor, he re-creates the sequence of events that caused him to become the founder of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust on the Isle of Jersey in the English Channel, which became a flagship for conservation efforts in zoos and preserves world wide. Readers will be drawn into the multifaceted operation of running a zoo from the procurement of funds to the acquisition of specimens and the bureaucracy that accompanies it.
- Mary Durso Schaefer, R.E. High Sch . , Springfield, VACopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
