Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Jersey zoo
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I am a member of Durrell Wildlife Preservation Trust, and us members don't get much information either. They stopped producing the Dodo around 7 years ago, the annual report which replaced it does not include a stock list, or much about animals in general. They seem to be concentrating most of their efforts on in-situ conservation. They still have the world's only captive Round Island Boas which are breeding well.
I'll look for some newsletters and see if there is anything worth posting. I haven't visited since 1989.
I'll look for some newsletters and see if there is anything worth posting. I haven't visited since 1989.
I think they have been experiencing financial problems in recent years. A friend visited last year and said it wasn't much changed from a previous visit.
Also I believe they sold off the 'Les Noyes' keeper training centre and applied to build some holiday flats on adjacent land that they own.
They have rebranded it 'Durrell' rather than 'Jersey Zoo' nowadays, in an effort to focus on its founder more. Also they have marketed it more aggressively for all sorts of outside enterprises(like team-building extercises) and got fund-raisers in but I don't know how successful this has been so far.
Also I believe they sold off the 'Les Noyes' keeper training centre and applied to build some holiday flats on adjacent land that they own.
They have rebranded it 'Durrell' rather than 'Jersey Zoo' nowadays, in an effort to focus on its founder more. Also they have marketed it more aggressively for all sorts of outside enterprises(like team-building extercises) and got fund-raisers in but I don't know how successful this has been so far.
Some land was sold (raising £252000) and more common species have been brought in.
Extracts from the 2006 Annual Report
The Darwin Initiative, sponsored by the UK Government has made grants for projects in Assam, Galapagos and Mauritius, runing from 2006-2009.
The marketing division had a lot of success in 2006.
Total income for 2006 was £4827000 and total expenditure was £5474000.
Chicago Zoological Society and Fota Wildlife Park made grants to the Durrell Wildlife Trust.
Captive bred Mauritian Fodys were released on to Isle aux Aigrettes
The trust had a net loss of £29000 in 2006, down from a total of almost £1000000 over the previous few years.
The report did not include any information on the collection in Jersey.
Extracts from the 2006 Annual Report
The Darwin Initiative, sponsored by the UK Government has made grants for projects in Assam, Galapagos and Mauritius, runing from 2006-2009.
The marketing division had a lot of success in 2006.
Total income for 2006 was £4827000 and total expenditure was £5474000.
Chicago Zoological Society and Fota Wildlife Park made grants to the Durrell Wildlife Trust.
Captive bred Mauritian Fodys were released on to Isle aux Aigrettes
The trust had a net loss of £29000 in 2006, down from a total of almost £1000000 over the previous few years.
The report did not include any information on the collection in Jersey.
Writhedhornbill
Well-Known Member
I have only ben once, in 2006 It was a very nice place, but there seemed to be something missing from it. I couldn't see many of the animals, as most were hiding. quite a dissapointment when they have 3 stunning wrinkled hornbills.
State of Jersey Zoo
I find it somewhat peculiar that the Durrell Institute has been so .. uhm silent lately. If you look at the zoo website not many news items are included. It almost seems that they have stopped breeding endangered species from islands habitats - their strong point to begin with.
Jersey has always championed the unusual, smaller, uncommon and sometimes unjustly deemed unattractive species. But the very fact that f.i. they have been quite successful with breeding Madagascar spider tortoise Pyxis planicauda or Madagscar teal Anas bernieri seems not to be advertised at all. Also their overseas conservation work seems to attract less attention in the media.
Bigger zoos like Chester with their Islands in Danger exhibits and in situ conservation projects have somehow stolen Jersey's thunder. A shame I think .... for such a nice place!
Bongorob, can you keep us up to date on developments at Jersey?
I find it somewhat peculiar that the Durrell Institute has been so .. uhm silent lately. If you look at the zoo website not many news items are included. It almost seems that they have stopped breeding endangered species from islands habitats - their strong point to begin with.
Jersey has always championed the unusual, smaller, uncommon and sometimes unjustly deemed unattractive species. But the very fact that f.i. they have been quite successful with breeding Madagascar spider tortoise Pyxis planicauda or Madagscar teal Anas bernieri seems not to be advertised at all. Also their overseas conservation work seems to attract less attention in the media.
Bigger zoos like Chester with their Islands in Danger exhibits and in situ conservation projects have somehow stolen Jersey's thunder. A shame I think .... for such a nice place!
Bongorob, can you keep us up to date on developments at Jersey?
Any idea what species they might be?
As several people have commented, the website seems to ignore what is happening in the Jersey collection nowadays. A lot of the 'news' section now seems more relevant to some sort of industrial company than a zoological collection...
Small passerine birds e.g. Fairy Bluebird, small-clawed otters and ring-tailed coatis off the top of my head. I'll post a species list later. This policy could be to gain experience with commoner species before bringing in their endangered relatives. In the past they have considered a rescue programme for Marine Otters (Lontra felina).
Sorry, I forgot to list the invertebrates. So here they are
West African Giant Snail (Archachaita margarita)
Raiatea Tree Snail (Partula faba)
Moorea Tree Snail (Partula mooreana)
Moorea Tree Snail (Partula taeniuata nucleola)
Madagascan Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa)
Macleay's Spectre Stick Insect (Extatosoma tiaratum)
Giant African Millipede (Archispirosterptus)
West African Giant Snail (Archachaita margarita)
Raiatea Tree Snail (Partula faba)
Moorea Tree Snail (Partula mooreana)
Moorea Tree Snail (Partula taeniuata nucleola)
Madagascan Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa)
Macleay's Spectre Stick Insect (Extatosoma tiaratum)
Giant African Millipede (Archispirosterptus)
there's quite a lot of common species in those lists!
Jersey always seem to have a generic explanation for anything in their collection which is not endangered, which is that they are perfecting husbandry methods on a more common species before switching to a similar, rarer one. This has been stated with reference to coatis, short-clawed otters, and meerkats among others, but with the exception of the Narrow-striped mongoose, they never seem to acquire anything to replace these animals.
With the Howler monkeys, these are simply described as a 'model' species to represent endangered wild relatives. I think this is how the collection at Jersey will develop now, as the conservation work of the organisation gravitates further away from ex situ captive breeding, especially for mammals and larger birds, while the zoo site is required to generate revenue rather than deplete funds. I guess most people don't care about paying to see critically endangered reptiles and amphibians so much.
With the Howler monkeys, these are simply described as a 'model' species to represent endangered wild relatives. I think this is how the collection at Jersey will develop now, as the conservation work of the organisation gravitates further away from ex situ captive breeding, especially for mammals and larger birds, while the zoo site is required to generate revenue rather than deplete funds. I guess most people don't care about paying to see critically endangered reptiles and amphibians so much.
I've just read Hadley's post, and an indication here that the Jersey collection could become more general in future? It bears out my theory that they are having to undertake major changes in order to stay afloat. As you said, the general visitor doesn't get too excited about some of the smaller more obscure species on show at Jersey. Its location and size means it will never become a major collection of large species, but maybe now they are considering adding a range of more 'visually appealing' species to draw visitors.
Their worst problem is their location... Jersey is very expensive to get too, whether by air or boat, and to stay there too. So, despite its appeal, its not a very popular family holiday destination, and as anyone knows, it is families who are any zoo's bread and butter...
Their worst problem is their location... Jersey is very expensive to get too, whether by air or boat, and to stay there too. So, despite its appeal, its not a very popular family holiday destination, and as anyone knows, it is families who are any zoo's bread and butter...
Sorry I missed out the Black Howler Monkeys (Alouatta caraya) and also the Bali Mynah (Leucopsar rothschildi). Jersey does seem as if it is becoming a more general collection. Unfortunately the public who don't mind what they see far outnumber enthusiasts who would make a special journey just to see a species of obscure island rat, or strange lizard.
I really think you can tell if a (non-specialist) zoo is serious about conservation as opposed to just maintaining numbers in a zoo population from their reptile and amphibian collection.
My point was really that captive breeding ex situ for most mammals rarely engages the captive stock with conservation projects for that species in the wild other than maybe by raising awareness/funds for the project. It is more likely that in situ efforts will produce a larger wild population. And Jersey really doesn't seem to pretend otherwise, which to me explains why few endangered mammal or bird species have been added to the collection since the aye ayes and gentle lemurs. So to survive I can see them adding more 'model' species that simply 'represent' rarer wild relatives.
My point was really that captive breeding ex situ for most mammals rarely engages the captive stock with conservation projects for that species in the wild other than maybe by raising awareness/funds for the project. It is more likely that in situ efforts will produce a larger wild population. And Jersey really doesn't seem to pretend otherwise, which to me explains why few endangered mammal or bird species have been added to the collection since the aye ayes and gentle lemurs. So to survive I can see them adding more 'model' species that simply 'represent' rarer wild relatives.
does anyone know what happened to Jersey's tuatara? They were the first zoo outside of NZ to breed them (in the 70s or maybe late 60s?). When did they stop keeping them, and was it because they died or just go to another collection?
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