Jersey Zoological Park
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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. It has approximately 150,000 visitors per year, despite a lack of emphasis on large 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 "Menagerie Manor". Jersey Zoo has always concentrated on rare and endangered species. It has mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, comprising over 190 species. Since 1964, the zoo has been home to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (formerly the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust). SiteThe zoo is located at Les Augrès Manor, Trinity, Jersey, 5 miles north of Saint Helier. It officially opened on March 26 1959. The zoo is situated in 31 acres of landscaped parkland and water-gardens. It has a strong commitment to looking after the Island’s native wildlife, and large areas within the grounds have been designated native habitat areas. A £1 million project to redevelop the central valley, completed in 2002, has created a haven for kingfishers, bank voles, butterflies, dragonflies and several species of waterfowl. The extensive planting of flowering and fruiting trees throughout the grounds also serves to attract a plethora of wild birds and insects. Included in the former are several species of bird which used to be commonly seen in Island gardens but have become increasingly scarce, including the house sparrow and song thrush. There are over 50 nest-boxes positioned around the grounds, which are used by a variety of birds including barn owls, kestrels, swallows and martins. Other animals which are commonly seen within the grounds are the red squirrel, bank vole, and the short-toed tree creeper, which is not found in the UK. Current breeding programmes at Jersey ZooDurrell primarily works with species from locations which are ecologically rich in diversity and not found anywhere else, such as islands and rainforests. Gorillas and Orang-utans
Jersey Zoo has kept western lowland gorillas since 1959 - the year it opened. The first to arrive was 2-year-old female ‘N’pongo’, who died in 1999 at the age of 42. To date, 15 babies have been born here; most have now been moved on to other zoos as contributions to the breeding programme for this endangered species. A silverback named Jambo quashed the King Kong image of gorillas when he stood over a young boy who fell into the inclosure, and protected him from the younger and more curious gorillas. The current silverback is Ya Kwanza, who was born in Melbourne Zoo, Australia, and who has had two children with one of Jambo's daughters. Threats: hunting and disease
Durrell Wildlife has kept Sumatran orangutans since 1968 and between 1963 to 1990, also bred the Bornean species. Over the years, 7 babies have been born here and some are now at other zoos. Theats: hunting and habitat loss Monkeys
Durrell’s first black macaque arrived in Jersey in 1963 and the first breeding success was in 1971. Since then 69 have been bred at Jersey Zoo. Threats: habitat loss
Durrell first began working with the white-handed gibbon as a ‘model’ species in 1997, with the arrival of a breeding pair from Twycross Zoo. As it is thought to be the least threatened of the gibbons, this species is being kept to develop successful husbandry methods for future use on more endangered species.
Lemurs
Ring-tails were the first lemurs to be kept at Jersey Zoo – they arrived way back in 1964. Since then a great deal of expertise has been gained with this species and various others. Threats: Habitat loss in Madagascar
Black and white ruffed lemurs were first kept at Durrell’s Jersey headquarters in 1982. Threats: Habitat loss in Madagascar
Red ruffed lemurs were first brought to Durrell’s headquarters in Jersey in 1982. Threats: Habitat loss in Madagascar
The successful captive breeding and research programme we began at Durrell WIldlife in 1990 now involves 8 other zoos and provides a ‘safety net’ population. Threats: hunting and habitat loss
Due to the aye-aye’s precarious situation in the wild, Durrell has been working with the Government of Madagascar since Gerald Durrell’s 1990 expedition to collect 6 of the species to provide an assurance population in Jersey. This breeding programme has to date successfully bred 8 new animals at Jersey and there has been subsequent collaboration with other institutions to ensure genetic diversity amongst the captive population Threats: deforestation Tamarins & MarmosetsIn 1990 Durrell released pairs of tamarins and marmosets into a woodland within the park. Tamarin Wood mimics the free natural environment of the rainforest, and doubles as a training facility for the 'New World' monkeys to adapt before being released back in the Amazon.
Durrell has cared for silvery marmosets in Jersey since 1973, when a captive breeding programme was established as an assurance population. Silvery marmosets can be located in the Tamarin Woods. Threats: logging, deforestation
The critically endangered golden lion tamarin was bred for the first time at Durrell’s Jersey headquarters in 1980. Shortly afterwards, it was established that there were actually more golden lion tamarins living in captivity than in the wild, and one of the first primate reintroduction programmes commenced.
The critically endangered black lion tamarin was bred for the first time at Jersey Zoo in 1990. This had never before been accomplished outside its native Brazil.
Bred for the first time in 1980s, Durrell work to establish a big enough population should the worst happen in its native habitat.
So called because of their imperial moustache, these elegant tamarins have been bred in the park since the 1990s.
In 1975 two pairs were donated to Durrell, ironically by a chemical manufacturer seeing the error in its ways. A group of five were the initial inhabitants of the Tamarin Woods.
Prior to being released into the Tamarin Wood environment, the Pied Tamarins gave the keepers plenty of trouble and worries. Since being released into the woodland, the pieds were more content and more positive results started to occur.
Also known as Geoffrey's marmoset, Durrell have established a breeding programme for these animals, and they can be found in the Tamarin Woods. First ImpressionsFirst Impressions is the first ever multi-species exihibit to include carnivorous species at Durrell. The current species here are the bears, ring-tailed coatis, howler monkeys and otters
The Andean bears at Durrell Wildlife’s Jersey Zoo are valuable contributors to a breeding programme that was launched to save a species in trouble. The captive population, built up over the years by a number of zoos working together, could also provide bears for reintroduction to areas where they have been eradicated.
Of the three coati species, the ring-tailed is the least threatened, but is declining in its native South America because of habitat loss to humans. Durrell first began working with the ring-tailed coati as a ‘model’ and mixed exhibit species in 1998, with the arrival at Durrell’s headquarters in Jersey of a group of 6 coatis from Chester Zoo.
At Durrell Wildlife we first began working with the small-clawed otter as a ‘model’ and mixed exhibit species in 1999, with the arrival of a breeding pair. As it is thought to be one of the least threatened of the otters and is well represented in captivity, this species is being kept to develop successful husbandry methods for future use on more endangered species. Threats: trapping
Black Howlers first arrived in Jersey in 2006 as a model species. Considered less endangered than other howlers, the species is kept to develop techniques for future use on more endangered species. Small Mammals
This large nocturnal, forest-dwelling rodent is threatened with extinction in the near future because of its limited distribution and loss of habitat. Giant jumping rats had never been kept in captivity before Gerald Durrell brought 5 to Jersey from Madagascar in 1990. The captive breeding programme for these critically endangered rats has successfully established a ‘safety net’ population.
Durrell first began working with the meerkat as a ‘model’ species in 1999, when a group, containing a breeding pair and their 5 offspring, arrived from a wildlife park in England. This species was used as a model species to develop husbandry experience for use with more endangered mongoose.
Durrell begain working with the mongoose in 2006 after successful research with the meerkat. Already there has been success in breeding the species making it the first UK zoo to do so, and the trust now has one male and three females, they are one of the rarest species in their collection. Bats
The first Livingstones arrived at Durrell in 1992 – the species had never been kept in captivity before and bats had to be brought from the steep forested slopes that they call home. This was a difficult exercise and it took four expeditions to catch enough bats for a successful start to the captive breeding programme designed to safeguard the species from being wiped out
Due to the crisis the bats faced in the wild, a number of the species were brought to Jersey in 1976 to start an emergency breeding programme. The programme was the first of its kind as this species had never before been kept in captivity, however with the wild population teetering on the brink of extinction, it was imperative that an assurance population was bred to ensure the species’ future. Thankfully, the breeding programme was a success, and now a thriving captive population, currently shared between 33 institutions, safeguards the species’ future should disaster strike again in the wild. Canines
First brought to the trust in 2000 the Maned Wolf, is a shy, sensitive and secretive animal, so its successful that they have managed to breed. The programmes main principal is to ensure its survival should it become extinct in the wild. MarsupialsFlamingos and Cranes
PheasantsParrotsThere are two males in the collection, as there are too many males in the wild. HornbillsPigeonsWaterfowl and Waders
SongbirdsNow many other zoos keep and breed the species. Jersey was the first and their staff went to Montserrat to collect two pairs.
SnakesCaimenTortoises and TurtlesIguanasHad the first Captive breeding of this species.
Lizards
Amphibians
Education SpeciesKept within The Royal Pavilion, an educational centre for schools and the public to visit and learn about the behaviours of different species. They include:
Local Wildlife Encouragement ProgrammeA programme set up by Durrell to encourage local Jersey wildlife such as red squirrels, bank voles and hedgehogs integrating them with the zoo. Centre piece is a pond encouraging waterfowl and insects such as dragonflies and damselflies. Local rare and declining plant propagationA long way from the usual animal conservation work at Durrell. Aim is maintain the genetic diversity of the locally rare plants. Currently four species are being grown in the propagation unit. Fragaria vesca or Wild Strawberry, Dianthus gallicus or Jersey Pink, Anogramma leptophylla or Jersey Fern and Linaria vulgaris or Common Toadflax. Other plant species will be propagated as seed or cutting material becomes available. As some of these plant species are so severely threatened, just finding specimens for propagation will be a real challenge. Success StoriesProof that conservation does work, some species have returned home for continuation of programmes to reintroduce them to their own environment Mauritius KestrelIn 1976 there were only four individuals in the wild with one female. Durrell took the risk of taking a recent clutch of eggs and had them hatched successfully - rebuilding the species, almost from scratch. The conservation for the species has moved on to the next stage and its focus has returned to Mauritius, re-establishing the species in the community and ecosystem. Antiguan RacerIn 1995 was dubbed the worlds rarest snake. More recently the species have been relocated back to Antigua on some islands where they are free from predators / pests. Przewalski's HorseWith the newly established wild population of these species, originally extinct from the wild the zoo was part of the coalition of 'zoos' which together brought the species from the brink of extinction. Since the recent phase of the recovery includes introducing them to the wild, it can be assumed the Jersey pair were part of this in 2000. Overseas ProjectsAlthough no longer located in Jersey, conservation is still monitored by Durrell in Assam India and other locations. The species is still in dire need of funding and help. Hitting headlines recently is some success in Grand Cayman with the Blue Iguana. Working alongside local authorities the iguana is being saved from extinction. It shows what can be done. Previously thought extinct, (found when looking for something else), Durrell have recently teamed up with Madagascar to help research and study the species. Completed Programmes
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