Book description
Sometimes it's pretty hard to tell them apart... my family and the
animals, that is. I don't know why my brothers and sisters complain so
much. With snakes in the bath and scorpions on the lunch table, our
house, on the island of Corfu, is a bit like a circus. So they should
feel right at home... Gerald Durrell (1925-1995) moved from England to
Corfu with his family at the age of eight. He spent much of his time
studying the island's wildlife, and surprising his family by keeping
lots of very unusual pets in very unexpected places. He grew up to be a
famous naturalist and conservationalist, leading expeditions to exotic
places such as Argentina, Sierra Leone, Assam and Madagascar. Over his
lifetime he presented many TV shows, and wrote 37 books, including MY
FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS and its two sequels, BIRDS, BEASTS AND
RELATIVES and THE GARDEN OF THE GODS. He founded Jersey Zoo in 1959 as a
centre for the conservation of endangered species, and in 1963 he
created the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust - later renamed Durrell
Wildlife Conservation Trust - of which his wife Lee is still Honorary
Director. He was awarded the OBE in 1982.
