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Gerald Durrell was ahead of his time when he postulated the role that a 20th-century zoo should play, primarily in Stationary Ark. His idea relies on the following bases:
The primary purpose of a zoo should be to act as a reserve of critically endangered species which need captive breeding in order to survive.
They can serve the secondary purposes of educating people about wildlife and natural history, and of educating biologists about the animal’s habits.
Zoos should not be run for the purposes of entertainment only, and non-threatened species should be re-introduced into their natural habitats.
An animal should be present in the zoo only as a last resort, when all efforts to save it in the wild have failed.
Durrell’s ideas about housing zoo animals also bring his priorities to the fore. The bases on which enclosures at Jersey are built:
Enclosures should be built keeping in mind — firstly, the comfort of the animal (including a private shelter), secondly for the convenience of the animal keeper, and finally for the viewing comfort of visitors.
The size of an enclosure should depend on how large their territories might be.
The companions of an animal should reflect not only ecological niche and biogeographic concerns, but its social abilities as well – how well it gets on with other members of its species and other species.
Every animal deserves food of its choice, sometimes made interesting by variation; and a mate of its choice; and a nice and interesting environment.
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