Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Jersey Zoo

[Kifaru Bwana]

It's a sign of the current situation at Jersey- they need it run as a business more to clear their debts etc.

I do not fully agree: A zoo is not equal to a business, you can not merely see plants and wildlife in a zoo as mere product(s).

Just aka Jersey Zoo should balance its books better while still generating good cash for its world reknowned in situ conservation programmes for "small" (as in non mega (in)vertebrates) endangered species and up its attendance figures while yet generating much more funds for upgrading its exhibits within the zoo.

I do hope they succeed (obviously their location on Jersey does not help!). What really infuriates me about Jersey Zoo is that this overtly rich island nation fails its world reknowned zoo miserably (in seems like decadence of the bourgeousie and gentry before the French revolution over there!). So many rich folks and not many care to give a few bucks for their zoo! A nation that does not cherish and support its heritage, is not worth the salt of the earth methinks!

 

[zoogiraffe]

It's a sign of the current situation at Jersey- they need it run as a business more to clear their debts etc.

I agree with you totaly that it needs to be run more like a business once they were world leaders now they just seem to follow the lead of other zoos,Chester did just what Jersey is doing now many years ago under Dr Bramble who helped get the zoos fianaces right so that the zoo Chester is today owes much to him.lets hope in years to come the same is said about Mr. Masterton's time at Jersey.

 

[Pertinax]

I do not fully agree: A zoo is not equal to a business, you can not merely see plants and wildlife in a zoo as mere product(s).

Just aka Jersey Zoo should balance its books better while still generating good cash for its world reknowned in situ conservation programmes for "small" (as in non mega (in)vertebrates) endangered species and up its attendance figures while yet generating much more funds for upgrading its exhibits within the zoo.

Yes, I'd agree with your statement in principal, except if it isn't run on a more profitable basis, Jersey Zoo could close. Its not simply a matter of balancing its books better- its a matter of increasing paying visitors or creating major revenue in other ways. Because of its unusual island location it has a different atmosphere than most zoos, rather genteel(very pleasant!)- it is rarely, if ever, crowded with the 'mass visitors' experienced by mainland zoos. Similarly there are only a few schools on Jersey so they can have only a limited source of income from educational/school visits.

I am always surprised that on a wealthy island like Jersey, they haven't had more financial support locally though.

 

[bongorob]

The point Pertinax is trying to make I think is that Mr Masterton has been brought in not to run the park as a business, but to utilise his business experience to help the trust become more cost effective, and also to attract new sources of income that will benefit the animal collection.

One of the first things that Michael Brambell did at Chester was to upgrade the visitor facilities. Existing toilets were re-furbished or demolished and replaced by more modern buildings.

The next project was to overhaul the catering department, and then repairing and re-surfacing the car parks.

His view was that it did not matter what the animal collection was like, the visitors would not return if the toilets were dirty, the catering was poor, and the car parks were full of pot holes.

In 1985 the zoo had 700000 visitors, in 2008 it was 1.3 million. I think he got it right.

 

[gentle lemur]

The parallels with Chester are relevant to some extent, but Michael Brambell was a zoo professional with years of experience. I really hope this guy can do what Jersey needs. Obviously he must have a lot of business skills, but if he is prepared to work for a conservation charity he must have other ideals and interests as well: the Durrell Trust cannot afford to pay the salary that a businessman with his CV would expect (although he is probably going to earn a lot more than anyone else there).

Alan

 

[Pertinax]

One of the first things that Michael Brambell did at Chester was to upgrade the visitor facilities. Existing toilets were re-furbished or demolished and replaced by more modern buildings.

The next project was to overhaul the catering department, and then repairing and re-surfacing the car parks.

I think that was exactly the way to go at Chester. I remember the 'cafe's etc in my early visits being truly awful places.

the interesting thing is that situation is almost the reverse of Jersey Zoo's. They have good visitor facilities of the highest standard- the cafe/restaurant is almost a *****! Their problem is not mass- catering as there just aren't any 'masses' -I've never seen any children behaving badly at Jersey, no running/screaming kids etc as Jersey just doesn't attract those types- the visitors are usually a smattering of retired gentlefolk and well-behaved families.... And because of their insular location, I think throughout their history Jersey Zoo has always regarded as normal(for them) a much smaller 'gate' than the larger zoos elsewhere and it took a very long time to finally realise this isn't financially viable. Somehow they need to attract more visitors I feel.

 

[johnstoni]

They cannot sustain themselves as a zoological collection for much longer unless it becomes cheaper to visit Jersey, especially with a 'recession' approaching. They should really start corporate fundraising as a charity, putting some serious money into a supporter base and marketing the charity with a strong national fundraising campaign. I mean, why shouldn't they? They have done as much as many conservation charities if not more, yet at the same time hold a living collection in the channel islands. I would be very happy to walk down the street and see kids signing people up to support this trust. In viewing the work of Durrel as a zoo, no matter how many members of the public recognise their work, they will always just assume that the zoo funds the charity, rather than the other way round as it should be.

It would be a great shame if they took the other route of simply trying to compete more as a visitor attraction which, although would be a good step, would be a dangerous strategy being based on a very expensive and slightly inaccessible channel island.

 

[Pertinax]

They cannot sustain themselves as a zoological collection for much longer unless it becomes cheaper to visit Jersey, especially with a 'recession' approaching.

It would be a great shame if they took the other route of simply trying to compete more as a visitor attraction which, although would be a good step, would be a dangerous strategy being based on a very expensive and slightly inaccessible channel island.

That's the crux of it- a rather innaccessable location. Jersey has always been an expensive place to get to- things don't seem to have changed any. In retrospect it wasn't an ideal place for Durrell to start his Zoo. Originally he wanted to locate it in Bournemouth (where his family lived) but he was turned down- bad mistake by the Council as the town could have benefited hugely from the fame/prestige angle. Bournemouth's loss was Jersey's gain but it hasn't done the zoo any favours being where it is.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

They cannot sustain themselves as a zoological collection for much longer unless it becomes cheaper to visit Jersey, especially with a 'recession' approaching. They should really start corporate fundraising as a charity, putting some serious money into a supporter base and marketing the charity with a strong national fundraising campaign. I mean, why shouldn't they? They have done as much as many conservation charities if not more, yet at the same time hold a living collection in the channel islands. I would be very happy to walk down the street and see kids signing people up to support this trust. In viewing the work of Durrel as a zoo, no matter how many members of the public recognise their work, they will always just assume that the zoo funds the charity, rather than the other way round as it should be.

I seem to have created a lot of discussion on the subject. I agree that Jersey Zoo needs a commercial director to as johnstoni puts it so rightly to bring in more funds for and visitors to the zoo and extra cash injection for its in situ conservation work. All I am concerned about is that bringing in the cash and a commercial man should not forego the zoological concept and conservation value of the Jersey Zoo. It must remain what it is in essence a world class zoo and conservation facility.

I do hope that Jersey Zoo management has the sensibility to separate the tasking of a commercial and a zoological director. The former should have marketing, funding base, managing the facility (the visitor quality experience .. car park, entrance, visitor center, amenities, restaurants) in his remit and while the latter should ponder with curatorial staff over the zoological and botanical collections and its in situ conservation work. We will have to see how the businessman intends to work his way around the site!

Just I can not help but think that Jersey's rich island population has continually failed this great institution and is still failing it even now!

 

[Writhedhornbill]

Do all the proceeds from Durrell's Books and DVDs that are sold Nationwide go back into the zoo?

 

[Pertinax]

I do hope that Jersey Zoo management has the sensibility to separate the tasking of a commercial and a zoological director. The former should have marketing, funding base, managing the facility (the visitor quality experience .. car park, entrance, visitor center, amenities, restaurants) in his remit and while the latter should ponder with curatorial staff over the zoological and botanical collections and its in situ conservation work. We will have to see how the businessman intends to work his way around the site!

It won't take him very long.. You can walk around the whole grounds of Jersey Zoo in about twenty minutes- if you didn't stop to look at the animals...

 

[johnstoni]

that's just it. Putting the majority of the pressure on the actual site to become more viable largely ignores that people actually have to come to the Island in the first place, and it is a relatively small site. I think that as a brand name, Durrell could massively increase its donor base through nationwide fundraising campaigns as do many charities and pressure groups right now. It may annoy you to see some dreadlocked hippy in a tabard with an over-sincere expression trying to stop you on the street to sign up for some charity but it works phenomenally well - which is the reason so many NGOs still fundraise in this way. To market themselves as primarily a charity which also maintain living collections both ex situ at their jersey headquarters and in situ in many sites worldwide would dissolve the problems of the zoo being located in Jersey. Sure, the zoo should not be a massive drain on money, but then if most of the species there are part of their wider conservation projects anyway, then why should the site need to generate enough gate revenue ex situ when their in situ breeding centres generate, quite rightly, no funds at all as they are not open to the public? It does worry me slightly that there is this feeling that Jersey zoo itself needs to earn its keep a little more to stay viable, when the charity itself could be strong enough to generate sufficient funds for all Durrell projects.

 

[bongorob]

New at Jersey is a male red-fronted lemur from Cologne. A female was expected from Blackpool, but she has given birth and will be coming to Jersey with her youngster as soon as the baby is old enough to be moved.

1.1 Pied Tamarin have been born by caesarian section, the mother got into difficulties.

 

[foz]

sory to dig up this fossil of a thread but it's better than creating a new one on the same thing;

looking on wikipedia i've foud the page on Durrell (jersey) has been recently updated, now it contains quite a good list of species and exhibits aswell as their future developments.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Zoological_Park[/ame]

from the page it seeems they are looking into aquiring yellow mongooses, guenons, red river hogs and affrican clawless otters

 

[bongorob]

I don't think Jersey ever kept penguins either.

 

[zoogiraffe]

I don't think Jersey ever kept penguins either.

They had some in the early days of the zoo because Gerald Durrell wrote about them arriving in the zoo in one of his books,have also found out that they did keep Gaharials during the first year of opening as its mentions them in the very first guide book that Jersey produced

 

[bongorob]

Oh, something else I didn't know. Thanks Zoogiraffe.

 

[zoogiraffe]

Oh, something else I didn't know. Thanks Zoogiraffe.

Not a problem will try to find out which book,as for the Gaharials this was mentioned on another Jersey thread that is now closed so just added on to this,i think its just a case in the early days of most collections the records of whats kept are often not as good as they are today why should Jersey be any different?

 

[Hix]

It may have been "Menagerie Manor".



Hix

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

that's just it. Putting the majority of the pressure on the actual site to become more viable largely ignores that people actually have to come to the Island in the first place, and it is a relatively small site. I think that as a brand name, Durrell could massively increase its donor base through nationwide fundraising campaigns as do many charities and pressure groups right now. It may annoy you to see some dreadlocked hippy in a tabard with an over-sincere expression trying to stop you on the street to sign up for some charity but it works phenomenally well - which is the reason so many NGOs still fundraise in this way. To market themselves as primarily a charity which also maintain living collections both ex situ at their jersey headquarters and in situ in many sites worldwide would dissolve the problems of the zoo being located in Jersey. Sure, the zoo should not be a massive drain on money, but then if most of the species there are part of their wider conservation projects anyway, then why should the site need to generate enough gate revenue ex situ when their in situ breeding centres generate, quite rightly, no funds at all as they are not open to the public? It does worry me slightly that there is this feeling that Jersey zoo itself needs to earn its keep a little more to stay viable, when the charity itself could be strong enough to generate sufficient funds for all Durrell projects.

Wise words, johnstoni. I am also convinced the prime job of the commercial director would be to increase the funding base.

However, I do feel there is some requirement to acquaint the wider public with the work of Jersey Zoo and by way of increasing the no.s of visitors to the zoo on site the standing and thus the funding base for its in situ conservation work.

Coming to in situ work: when will Jersey Zoo get Cayman blue and Anegada island iguanas? Would be a nice addition. And I do feel there is a need for a more robust presence in ex situ European collections of endangered Caribbean iguanids.