The Stationary Ark
by Gerald Durrell
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A famed zookeeper reflects on his lifelong love of animals—and his decision to build them a home—in this memoir by the author of the Corfu Trilogy. The first word Gerald Durrell could say with any clarity was "zoo." Animals were his passion. His early years in India were full of routine visits to the local zoo, and if his nursemaid attempted to deviate from this routine, the result was usually a tantrum. Years later, when Durrell decided to set up the Jersey Wildlife Preservation show more Trust—which would later become the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust—he didn't want it to be like other zoos. He didn't want a place where animals were simply imprisoned, where parents reluctantly brought their children to get sick on ice cream. More than a place for entertainment, Durrell's zoo needed to be a place for education, research, and conservation. But achieving his goal would force him to question if wild animals really did belong in the care of humans. The Stationary Ark is an entertaining and thoughtful look at a career in zookeeping from the man who inspired acclaimed Masterpiece production The Durrells in Corfu, which aired on public television. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Gerald Durrell including rare photos from the author's estate. Biography & Autobiography. Nonfiction. Nature. show lessTags
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The Stationary Ark is a quick yet fascinating read, all about Durrell's experiences and opinions of what a proper zoo should look like and what it should be doing. First published in the 1970s, Durrell doesn't hold back on his opinions, such as that most zoos of the day were a disgrace. Zoo design, to him, should consist of four things in strict order of importance: (1) the needs of the animal, (2) the needs of the person looking after the animal, (3) the public who wish to see the animal, and (4) the aesthetic aims of the architect and of the gardener who has to tend it. Most zoos, Durrell believed, had those four priorities in reverse order. He also believed that a zoo's primary function should be in the areas of conservation and show more research, not of entertaining the public. And don't even get him started on the subject of safari parks! No, he didn't hold back with his opinions, but he also didn't name names-- which made me wonder if I've ever visited any of the zoos Durrell had low opinions of.
But The Stationary Ark isn't just about Durrell's opinions. He shares how he started his own zoo on the Island of Jersey-- how he obtained animals, how he transported them to the zoo, how the animals were taken care of when they became ill, etc. One thing I'd never realized is how little was really known about almost any animal in a zoo because no research was available and because for so long zoos kept no records of the daily care and feeding of their animals. (If the animal died, they could always send someone out to get another from the wild.)
This is a fascinating little book that I'm so glad I read. Now I want to learn how present-day zoos stack up against Durrell's criteria-- criteria that put the needs of the animals front and center where they should be. show less
But The Stationary Ark isn't just about Durrell's opinions. He shares how he started his own zoo on the Island of Jersey-- how he obtained animals, how he transported them to the zoo, how the animals were taken care of when they became ill, etc. One thing I'd never realized is how little was really known about almost any animal in a zoo because no research was available and because for so long zoos kept no records of the daily care and feeding of their animals. (If the animal died, they could always send someone out to get another from the wild.)
This is a fascinating little book that I'm so glad I read. Now I want to learn how present-day zoos stack up against Durrell's criteria-- criteria that put the needs of the animals front and center where they should be. show less
Nowadays, a good many zoos are seriously involved in conservation work, the last hope for some of the most endangered species on the planet. In the 1970s, that wasn't the case. This book was Durrell's polemic against the keeping of wild animals purely for entertainment purposes, an impassioned plea for things to change. In a series of seven essays he set out the case for zoological gardens to be genuine centres of scientific excellence devoted to the preservation and breeding of the animals in their care, and described the work of the zoo he had set up for this purpose. He made himself highly unpopular in some quarters with his stinging criticism of then-current practice, not least because it's well and entertainingly written, a show more successful appeal to the public at large to support his campaign. The first chapter is a little dry, but after that this is a fascinating description of the work of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. Funny, moving, and utterly devoted to the animals without ever lapsing into saccharine sentiment, this is well worth a read. show less
I picked this up very soon after My Family and Other Animals, without really paying attention to anything about it other than the author. It was immediately apparent that this was a book nothing like My Family - rather than a series of amusing anecdotes, this is a serious treatment of the role of zoos in the modern world. It was interesting, and did make me question some of my opinions about zoos, but it wasn't really what I was hoping for when I picked the book up! I found the text a bit dry, and a touch self congratulatory. I'd read more books by Gerald Durrell, but I'll be examining the cover notes more closely next time!
Indeholder kapitlerne "Indledning", "1. Begyndelsen", "2. Det forgyldte bur", "3. Det komplicerede køkken", "4. Ægteskabsmarkedet", "5. Fabler og videnskab", "6. En doktor kom", "7. Arken på øen".
"Indledning" fortæller at bogen handler om zoologiske haver i almindelighed og om Gerald Durrells zoologiske have på kanaløen Jersey i særdeleshed. Vi har brug for zoologiske haver og brug for at de bliver bedre. Udsigterne er mørke og vi har brug for humorens ildfluer til at lyse lidt op.
"1. Begyndelsen" handler om ???
"2. Det forgyldte bur" handler om ???
"3. Det komplicerede køkken" handler om ???
"4. Ægteskabsmarkedet" handler om ???
"5. Fabler og videnskab" handler om ???
"6. En doktor kom" handler om ???
"7. Arken på øen" handler show more om ???
??? show less
"Indledning" fortæller at bogen handler om zoologiske haver i almindelighed og om Gerald Durrells zoologiske have på kanaløen Jersey i særdeleshed. Vi har brug for zoologiske haver og brug for at de bliver bedre. Udsigterne er mørke og vi har brug for humorens ildfluer til at lyse lidt op.
"1. Begyndelsen" handler om ???
"2. Det forgyldte bur" handler om ???
"3. Det komplicerede køkken" handler om ???
"4. Ægteskabsmarkedet" handler om ???
"5. Fabler og videnskab" handler om ???
"6. En doktor kom" handler om ???
"7. Arken på øen" handler show more om ???
??? show less
Jun 16, 2019 (Edited)Danish
Amena, divertida, interessant
Jul 30, 2012Catalan
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Author Information
104+ Works 21,718 Members
Gerald Durrell was born on January 7, 1925 in Jamshedpur, India to British parents. After the death of his father in 1928, the family lived in England and Europe before settling in Corfu, where he spent much of his childhood. Educated by private tutors, he became interested in natural history and amassed a private collection of dozens of creatures show more from scorpions to owls. He went on numerous wildlife expeditions and founded the Jersey Zoological Park and the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust with the purpose of breeding endangered species. His first book, The Overloaded Ark, was published in 1953. He wrote 37 books during his lifetime including My Family and Other Animals, The Bafut Beagles, A Zoo in My Luggage, Rosy Is My Relative, and The Mockery Bird. He received the Order of the British Empire in 1982 and was featured in the United Nations' Roll of Honor for Environmental Achievement in 1988. He died from complications related to a liver transplant on January 30, 1995 at the age of 70. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Stationary Ark
- Original title
- The Stationary Ark
- Original publication date
- 1976
- Important places
- Jersey, Channel Islands
- Epigraph*
- Seid fruchtbar und mehret euch und erfüllet die Erde und macht sie euch untertan! Herrschet über die Fische des Meeres und über die Vögel des Himmels und über alles Getier, das sich auf Erden regt. Genesis 1.28
Ich aber brachte euch in ein Gartenland, damit ihr seine Frucht und Güter genießen solltet. Ihr seid eingezogen und habt mein Land besudelt, mein Eigentum zur Stätte des Gräuels gemacht. Jeremia 2. - First words
- This is a book about zoos in general, and one in particular - the one I started on the Island of Jersey.
- Last words*
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Wenn Sie Näheres wissen möchten, schreiben Sie an
The Wildlife Preservation Trust International
Les Augres Manor
Trinity
Jersey, Kanalinseln. - Original language
- English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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