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The Overloaded Ark
Gerald Durrell, former director and owner of Jersey Zoo, is internationally famous for his books about collecting wild animals. This text describes an expedition to the remote territory of the Cameroons in West Africa, before independence.
253 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1953
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767 people want to read
About the author
Gerald Durrell
228 books1,721 followersGerald "Gerry" Malcolm Durrell was born in India in 1925. His elder siblings are Lawrence Durrell, Leslie Durrell, and Margaret Durrell. His family settled on Corfu when Gerald was a boy and he spent his time studying its wildlife. He relates these experiences in the trilogy beginning with My Family And Other Animals, and continuing with Birds, Beasts, And Relatives and The Garden Of The Gods. In his books he writes with wry humour and great perception about both the humans and the animals he meets.
On leaving Corfu he returned to England to work on the staff of Whipsnade Park as a student keeper. His adventures there are told with characteristic energy in Beasts In My Belfry. A few years later, Gerald began organising his own animal-collecting expeditions. The first, to the Cameroons, was followed by expeditions to Paraguay, Argentina and Sierra Leone. He recounts these experiences in a number of books, including The Drunken Forest. Gerald also visited many countries while shooting various television series, including An Amateur Naturalist. In 1958 Gerald Durrell realised a lifelong dream when he set up the Jersey Zoological Park, followed a few years later by the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.
Gerald was married twice; Jacquie Durrell (1951-1979), Lee Durrell (1979-1995).
Gerald Durrell's style is exuberant, passionate and acutely observed. He died in 1995.
On leaving Corfu he returned to England to work on the staff of Whipsnade Park as a student keeper. His adventures there are told with characteristic energy in Beasts In My Belfry. A few years later, Gerald began organising his own animal-collecting expeditions. The first, to the Cameroons, was followed by expeditions to Paraguay, Argentina and Sierra Leone. He recounts these experiences in a number of books, including The Drunken Forest. Gerald also visited many countries while shooting various television series, including An Amateur Naturalist. In 1958 Gerald Durrell realised a lifelong dream when he set up the Jersey Zoological Park, followed a few years later by the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust.
Gerald was married twice; Jacquie Durrell (1951-1979), Lee Durrell (1979-1995).
Gerald Durrell's style is exuberant, passionate and acutely observed. He died in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
September 22, 2017
Gerald Durrell seems to have the obsession of a collector but not the compassion of an animal lover in this dreadfully unethical book. I know it was written in another age,but I still can't believe that you could just capture endless amounts of birds, animals and insects from other countries and transport them to the UK, and it was legal!
I'm really apalled at the loss of animal life due to the stress of capture/travelling and the fact that it was considered all part of the business of collecting.
How anyone could view an animal in it's natural state in the wild and subject it to a lonely life of misery and incarceration is beyond me...
"Then I saw them, three large glittering green birds, with long heavy tails and curved crests. They took flight, straight as arrows, across the clearing, and landed in the trees the opposite side, and as they landed they shouted their challenging cry again. As they called, as though in an excess of high spirits, they leapt from branch to branch in great rabbit-like leaps, and raced along the branches like racehorses, as easily as though the branches had been roads. They were a flock of Giant Plantain-eaters, perhaps the most beautiful of the forest birds. I had often heard their wild cries in the forest, but this was my first sight of them. Their acrobatic powers amazed me, as they leapt and bounded, and ran amongst the branches, pausing now and then to pluck a fruit and swallow it, and then shout to the forest. As they flew from tree to tree in the sun, trailing their tails behind them like giant magpies, they shimmered green and gold, a breathtakingly beautiful colour.
“Elias, you see those birds?”
“Yessir.”
“I go give ten shillings for one of those alive.”
He was quite happy to see these birds caged for the rest of their lives,how very sad.
These poor animals must have been terrified at being captured, and the unnatural conditions they were forced to live in from then on. Pointless and completely unnecessary.
I certainly don't recommend this book if you're an animal lover, GD's Greek Trilogy was such a well written entertaining book, but I highly doubt I will keep/reread The Overloaded Ark, as I found it very upsetting rather than enjoyable.
If only it had been a book about observing these creatures in their natural habitat and LEAVING them there.
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity.” Einstein.
I'm really apalled at the loss of animal life due to the stress of capture/travelling and the fact that it was considered all part of the business of collecting.
How anyone could view an animal in it's natural state in the wild and subject it to a lonely life of misery and incarceration is beyond me...
"Then I saw them, three large glittering green birds, with long heavy tails and curved crests. They took flight, straight as arrows, across the clearing, and landed in the trees the opposite side, and as they landed they shouted their challenging cry again. As they called, as though in an excess of high spirits, they leapt from branch to branch in great rabbit-like leaps, and raced along the branches like racehorses, as easily as though the branches had been roads. They were a flock of Giant Plantain-eaters, perhaps the most beautiful of the forest birds. I had often heard their wild cries in the forest, but this was my first sight of them. Their acrobatic powers amazed me, as they leapt and bounded, and ran amongst the branches, pausing now and then to pluck a fruit and swallow it, and then shout to the forest. As they flew from tree to tree in the sun, trailing their tails behind them like giant magpies, they shimmered green and gold, a breathtakingly beautiful colour.
“Elias, you see those birds?”
“Yessir.”
“I go give ten shillings for one of those alive.”
He was quite happy to see these birds caged for the rest of their lives,how very sad.
These poor animals must have been terrified at being captured, and the unnatural conditions they were forced to live in from then on. Pointless and completely unnecessary.
I certainly don't recommend this book if you're an animal lover, GD's Greek Trilogy was such a well written entertaining book, but I highly doubt I will keep/reread The Overloaded Ark, as I found it very upsetting rather than enjoyable.
If only it had been a book about observing these creatures in their natural habitat and LEAVING them there.
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity.” Einstein.
August 7, 2021
ENGLISH: This is the fourth time I've read this book, the first written by Durrell. The two more interesting things I always remember about this book are Durrell's description of his meeting with the Angwantibo (Arctocebus calabarensis) and the Ju-ju that worked.
ESPAÑOL: Esta es la cuarta vez que leo este libro, el primero que escribió Durrell. Las dos cosas más interesantes de este libro que permanecen en mi recuerdo son la descripción que hace Durrell de su encuentro con el Anguantibo (Arctocebus calabarensis) y el Ju-ju que funcionó.
ESPAÑOL: Esta es la cuarta vez que leo este libro, el primero que escribió Durrell. Las dos cosas más interesantes de este libro que permanecen en mi recuerdo son la descripción que hace Durrell de su encuentro con el Anguantibo (Arctocebus calabarensis) y el Ju-ju que funcionó.
August 9, 2019
It was okay. Having read 3 of Gerald Durrell's books as a teen with great enjoyment, I had high expectations for The Overloaded Ark. But the book left me largely unimpressed and some aspects of the subject matter were uncomfortable.
This is a memoir detailing one of Durrell's trips to Africa to capture animals for British zoos. I guess in 1953 this qualified as an adventure book, but in 2019 I was like "leave the poor animals alone!". To be fair, Durrell cares for his animals a great deal, it is evident in everything he writes. There was also some casual colonialism in some of his attitudes and descriptions. He's not being hateful or offensive, but sometimes I cringed a little. I guess you can't help it, but some books just don't age well, and Overloaded Ark is one of them.
Putting that aside, I can't say it was particularly interesting or grasping. The characters were inexistent (only Chamley the chimp stood out to me), the plot nearly inexistent as well. Lots of detailed descriptions of animals I don't know. I guess the book was what it was supposed to be, but I wasn't the kind of person who felt compelled to read it quickly.
So, even though it wasn't bad, I don't recommend Overloaded Ark.
This is a memoir detailing one of Durrell's trips to Africa to capture animals for British zoos. I guess in 1953 this qualified as an adventure book, but in 2019 I was like "leave the poor animals alone!". To be fair, Durrell cares for his animals a great deal, it is evident in everything he writes. There was also some casual colonialism in some of his attitudes and descriptions. He's not being hateful or offensive, but sometimes I cringed a little. I guess you can't help it, but some books just don't age well, and Overloaded Ark is one of them.
Putting that aside, I can't say it was particularly interesting or grasping. The characters were inexistent (only Chamley the chimp stood out to me), the plot nearly inexistent as well. Lots of detailed descriptions of animals I don't know. I guess the book was what it was supposed to be, but I wasn't the kind of person who felt compelled to read it quickly.
So, even though it wasn't bad, I don't recommend Overloaded Ark.
May 8, 2009
Durrell's books are so funny and absorbing; loaded with delightfully, engagingly anthropomorphic portraits of the rare animals he is collecting to finance his private zoo in the Isle of Jersey. This collecting trip takes place in Cameroon, in the rainforest not far from where the first African violet was discovered.
In fact that connection is why I recently decided to re-read it. While teaching a class on the rainforest to 1st & 2nd graders this year, I realized that I had actually read quite a lot of books about the rainforest, or set in the rainforest, but that they had been disguised under the sinister name "jungle." For example, Heart of Darkness is set in the Congo, the second largest rainforest in the world. (Although that is a bit like saying Marseilles is the second largest city in France, both statements are still true.) Apparently a true jungle is the dense, tangled undergrowth that springs up when a large rainforest tree is felled, taking advantage of the new access to light and air.
I read all of Durrell's books as a precocious child and realized recently that they are also set in rainforest because that's where the greatest number of animals can be found.They are certainly dated on re-reading-- there is something very Kipling-esque in the many scenes of Durrell speaking pidgin with all the native bearers and drinking sundowners with the local Brits--but he has some sense of humor about the typical British colonial and has a prescient awareness of environmental concerns and how important zoos would become in the cause of conservation.
And did I mention that his portraits of animals are priceless? It really made me feel like I had been to the rainforest and made friends with the animals. Totally worth the read.
In fact that connection is why I recently decided to re-read it. While teaching a class on the rainforest to 1st & 2nd graders this year, I realized that I had actually read quite a lot of books about the rainforest, or set in the rainforest, but that they had been disguised under the sinister name "jungle." For example, Heart of Darkness is set in the Congo, the second largest rainforest in the world. (Although that is a bit like saying Marseilles is the second largest city in France, both statements are still true.) Apparently a true jungle is the dense, tangled undergrowth that springs up when a large rainforest tree is felled, taking advantage of the new access to light and air.
I read all of Durrell's books as a precocious child and realized recently that they are also set in rainforest because that's where the greatest number of animals can be found.They are certainly dated on re-reading-- there is something very Kipling-esque in the many scenes of Durrell speaking pidgin with all the native bearers and drinking sundowners with the local Brits--but he has some sense of humor about the typical British colonial and has a prescient awareness of environmental concerns and how important zoos would become in the cause of conservation.
And did I mention that his portraits of animals are priceless? It really made me feel like I had been to the rainforest and made friends with the animals. Totally worth the read.
May 28, 2009
Durrell's voice is winsome, I think, and a little wry, which to my ear dates more slowly than some other, more proper and ponderous nature writers. I've seen other reviewers complaining about the use of pidgin and the colonial attitude evinced by the author, but it strikes me as perfectly accurate to the early 1950s. There are also parts about the trapping, keeping, and selling animals I find unsavoury but true to the times. On the whole, though, his sheer love of wildlife wins the day for me, and Durrell expostulating with dilatory young boys holding dead birds (which they insist are perfectly healthy) is laugh-out-loud funny even after all this time.
November 15, 2020
Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals is one of my all-time favorite comfort reads, but the overwhelming stink of colonialism makes this one a no-go for me. Some nice moments of nature writing and the few jokes that land (mostly the ones at Durrell's own expense) do not make up for the casual, dehumanizing racism displayed toward the African natives whose continent Durrell is tromping all over. Worse is the knowledge that Durrell probably seemed fairly progressive for his time. Yuck.
July 14, 2012
Wonderful first book by Gerald Durrell - and one I remember reading many years ago as a boy with enormous pleasure. Re-reading recently brought back many of those memories, but also raised eyebrows. Clearly a book of its time; it would be nigh on impossible (and thoroughly illegal) to repeat the exploits described, and tipping workers with tobacco is hardly healthy! However, the anecdotes are delightful, his joy in nature is infectious, and the writing is beautiful, though nowhere near as well developed as in some of his later books. And it would have benefited from a little editing in places. Definitely worth a read, and a great introduction to the rest of his work.
April 27, 2017
While I cannot bring myself to like all this "collecting" animals for zoos business, Durrell's writing is just so honest and enjoyable. The smattering of local flavour - with the pidgin and description of local people, the flora and fauna, and general environment- adds so much character to his books.
Also, a lot of animal deaths in this book. Made me cry.
Also, a lot of animal deaths in this book. Made me cry.
February 10, 2022
- his debut and the weakest of his Cameroon books, but still charming and funny.
Durrell was younger when he wrote this, and was more prone to impatience and ego-fragility. Although he extends great humor and compassion toward animals, he does not always do so toward his fellow humans.
Durrell was younger when he wrote this, and was more prone to impatience and ego-fragility. Although he extends great humor and compassion toward animals, he does not always do so toward his fellow humans.
September 24, 2009
Gerald Durrell books are worth re-reading.
February 5, 2021
После знакомства с Джеймсом Хэрриотом, начал искать что почитать в том же духе. Сразу же наткнулся на Даррела.
надо сказать, что по уровню слога и накалу юмора, иронии и чёрного юмора Даррел однозначно уступает Хэрриоту, но имеет свои несравненные плюсы. Как минимум повествование у него про экзотический Камерун, про его природу, и население, и, конечно же, про животных всех размеров. Чём-то напомнило биографические заметки Ч.Дарвина «Путешествие на Бигле». Полный кайф, но не на твёрдую пятёрку.
Кстати говоря, когда мне рекомендовали Даррела, парочка друзей убеждали, что в «перегруженном ковчеге» есть рассказ совершенно выбивающийся из общей канвы повествования, про какое-то мистическое, хоррорное зеркало... короче, ждал я этот рассказ, ждал... и не дождался)
Судя по тому, что Даррел настрочил достаточно книженций, где-то про зеркало в следующих произведениях.
надо сказать, что по уровню слога и накалу юмора, иронии и чёрного юмора Даррел однозначно уступает Хэрриоту, но имеет свои несравненные плюсы. Как минимум повествование у него про экзотический Камерун, про его природу, и население, и, конечно же, про животных всех размеров. Чём-то напомнило биографические заметки Ч.Дарвина «Путешествие на Бигле». Полный кайф, но не на твёрдую пятёрку.
Кстати говоря, когда мне рекомендовали Даррела, парочка друзей убеждали, что в «перегруженном ковчеге» есть рассказ совершенно выбивающийся из общей канвы повествования, про какое-то мистическое, хоррорное зеркало... короче, ждал я этот рассказ, ждал... и не дождался)
Судя по тому, что Даррел настрочил достаточно книженций, где-то про зеркало в следующих произведениях.
September 18, 2024
Хлопець у 23 роки вирушає до Камеруну ловити диких тварин для зоопарків у Британії. Якби я прочитав цю книжку в дитинстві, то точно знав би, що відповідати, коли мене питали, ким я хочу стати.
Загалом, якщо ставитися до неї як до ненапряжного читання про пригоди в джунглях , то це просто чудова книжка, щоб трохи відволіктись в обід. Глибоких життєвих інсайтів з неї не візьмеш, але вона і не для цього писалася. А історії про ловлю різних мавпочок, кажанів, варанів і ще мільйон інших тварин виявилось цікавіше читати в 33 роки, ніж я очікував.
Загалом, якщо ставитися до неї як до ненапряжного читання про пригоди в джунглях , то це просто чудова книжка, щоб трохи відволіктись в обід. Глибоких життєвих інсайтів з неї не візьмеш, але вона і не для цього писалася. А історії про ловлю різних мавпочок, кажанів, варанів і ще мільйон інших тварин виявилось цікавіше читати в 33 роки, ніж я очікував.
February 26, 2022
Durrell's first book, he gives an account of an animal-collecting trip to the British Cameroons. Durrell balances accounts of trips into the jungle with stories of the animals in captivity and amusing portraits and stories about his collecting partner, and native guides, hunters, and staff. Durrell's characteristic sense of humour is constantly present, and makes the book a pleasure to read. There are also some wonderful passages describing the jungle or specific animals, where Durrell's excellent prose is brought to its most noble pitch.
August 22, 2025
As always, Durrell is great at describing exotic places and animals, this time in the forests and mountains of Cameroon. He also delights the reader with humorous accounts of the humans involved. I would give it 5 stars but for my strong aversion to putting wild animals in cages...
July 8, 2021
This was slow for me, but interesting and in some places funny. The way Durrell just freely captures animals in the wild and brings them back to a zoo is something that would never happen today, but if you can set aside whatever feelings you might have about that, the story of this man's adventures in this time and place are enlightening and entertaining.
June 1, 2017
Quizás no estoy siendo justo dándole solo dos estrellas a este primer libro de Durrell, pero no puedo evitar pensar que se trata de una obra menor, muy inferior a otras que escribiría posteriormente: en otros libros cada capítulo tiene sentido en sí mismo, enlazando anécdotas con un hilo en común y a menudo con un final de capítulo que retoma el principio, haciendo evidente que cada capítulo se ha pensado y construido como un todo. Sin embargo, en este libro prefiere agrupar anécdotas por lugares, acumulando historias que no tienen otra relación entre sí, muchas veces con un afán excesivamente descriptivo. Por otro lado, la presencia de los humanos en este libro es escasa, y es esto precisamente lo que más me gusta de sus libros: la animalización de los comportamientos humanos y la humanización del comportamiento animal. Aquí la mayoría de los animales son meros animales descritos biológicamente y muchos de los humanos son tratados con un desprecio rayano en el racismo que más irrita que otra cosa. Excepción a esta tendencia son el genial chimpancé Chumley -absoluto protagonista del capítulo 12, el mejor de todo el libro- y la presencia en la segunda parte del ornitólogo John, cuya cariñosa ridiculización da muestras de lo que Durrell hará a las mil maravillas en libros posteriores.
Pero insisto en ponerle dos estrellas porque muchos de los capítulos carecen por completo de gracia y, desgraciadamente, resultan de lo más plomizos.
Pero insisto en ponerle dos estrellas porque muchos de los capítulos carecen por completo de gracia y, desgraciadamente, resultan de lo más plomizos.
November 25, 2018
Es un libro muy interesante sobre animales, África, viajes y anécdotas... pero no deja de parecerme triste que en aras de la "ciencia", "la investigación" o lo que sea, se saque a los animales de sus hábitats naturales y se les obligue a vivir una cautividad injusta; además de todas las formas de maltrato al que se les somete tanto en las "cacerías" como en los "traslados", me parece inhumano.
El ritmo de lectura es ágil y la forma en que está escrito es muy amena, a pesar de lo que me provoca el tema, es un buen libro y sé que en el futuro leeré más de este autor.
El ritmo de lectura es ágil y la forma en que está escrito es muy amena, a pesar de lo que me provoca el tema, es un buen libro y sé que en el futuro leeré más de este autor.
November 19, 2017
Mixed review of this book: The author gives absolutely beautiful descriptions of the land and animals of Cameroon, and he shows true compassion for some of them.
However, The Overloaded Ark must be read as a slice in time. It was written in 1953. His and his partner’s condescension for the individuals who were hosting them as guests as well as the approved practice of capturing and collecting animals to take back to zoos was very, very hard to read at times. While our practices are far from perfect now, hopefully, the racism shown towards the Cameroonians and the disregard of some species brought to them, so acceptable over a half century ago, is a thing of the past.
However, The Overloaded Ark must be read as a slice in time. It was written in 1953. His and his partner’s condescension for the individuals who were hosting them as guests as well as the approved practice of capturing and collecting animals to take back to zoos was very, very hard to read at times. While our practices are far from perfect now, hopefully, the racism shown towards the Cameroonians and the disregard of some species brought to them, so acceptable over a half century ago, is a thing of the past.
February 5, 2012
If you want a retro look into 1950's animal collecting this is the book for you.
However keeping in mind it's from the 50's, the racism runs rampant.
Also the level of zoological knowledge is very low ,compared to what we know now,and several animals are lost because of this.
The best part of the book are the sketches and descriptions of some very rare animals.
However keeping in mind it's from the 50's, the racism runs rampant.
Also the level of zoological knowledge is very low ,compared to what we know now,and several animals are lost because of this.
The best part of the book are the sketches and descriptions of some very rare animals.
January 8, 2010
I do not think, Durrell would have been able to bring animals from the Cameroons to England, in this day and age !
But the book is hilarious and still brings a smile, after all these years whenever I read a chapter.
But the book is hilarious and still brings a smile, after all these years whenever I read a chapter.
August 17, 2012
On a whim I picked up my parents' old paperback and gave it a read. It's a page-turner. Great at describing flora/fauna of the west African jungle. But OH how the patronizing, patrician attitudes of the imperial British are evident on every page.
July 19, 2025
This is Durrell’s first book, about his trip to Cameroon and the many animals he found there.
At times, his dialogues with the natives become tiresome. But there are some interesting episodes like the visit to the caves, up the mountain with a ju-ju, and to the peaceable lake full of kingfishers.
At times, his dialogues with the natives become tiresome. But there are some interesting episodes like the visit to the caves, up the mountain with a ju-ju, and to the peaceable lake full of kingfishers.
August 13, 2014
Durrell's account of his expedition to the Cameroons in West Africa in 1953, before Independence.
January 28, 2016
All superlatives. Typical Gerald Durrell -- funny and fascinating animal stories.
December 14, 2021
Két eset lehetséges: kezembe került az egyetlen Durrell, amit még nem olvastam vagy pedig olvastam valamikor, huszonéve, és nem emlékszem rá. Mindegy is, mert az a Durrell-könyvek sajátossága, hogy századjára olvasva is tudnak újat mondani és mindig érdekesek. Ez pl. azért volt érdekes, mert itt kicsit úgy éreztem magam, mintha valami 19. századi kutatóexpedíció történetét olvasnám. Állatok, állatok és megint állatok. És egy kicsit, de csak egy kicsit komolykodó és ifjú Gerry – jól áll neki :). Mind a kettő. Itt a hangsúly tényleg inkább a lényeg felé billen (állatok), (mikor nem?), itt, az első kameruni expedíción különböző brit állatkerteknek gyűjt, még nem saját magának (ami késik, nem múlik). Három felvonása van, a szoliter gyűjtő magánélete és nehézségei az első, utána találkozik kollégájával, John-nal, majd, miután kölcsönösen egymás idegeire mennek, kicsit még kiruccan a hegyekbe egyedül. Utána már csak a behajózás marad és a búcsú az állatoktól. Bármennyire elképzelhetetlenül nehéz, még mindig tökéletesen megértem, miért akart saját gyűjteményt – a kihagyhatatlan állatmentés mellett.
Támogatni itt lehet, különböző formában, értékes Bárkáját és annak rakományát :) : adoptálással http://www.durrell.org/adopt/ vagy pedig sima adománnyal: https://www.durrell.org/wildlife/shop... .
Támogatni itt lehet, különböző formában, értékes Bárkáját és annak rakományát :) : adoptálással http://www.durrell.org/adopt/ vagy pedig sima adománnyal: https://www.durrell.org/wildlife/shop... .
February 21, 2023
I read this book looking for books to fulfil the reading prompt to read around the world. I chose this, because I love an autobiographical book, and animals.
What I wasn’t prepared for though was that it was published in 1953, and was definitely of the era. There was nothing wrong with the story, it was beautiful to read, with such romantic, and elaborate language… however, you must remember that life has changed A LOT since then.
Not only do the books I read now not have the same language, a lot less elaborate, there are things which were normal in the 50’s that we baulk at nowadays.
1. The way in which he talks about “the blacks”.
2. The fact that places where there are “whites” are seen as civilised.
3. The hardest part for me - he is essentially taking animals from their habitat for collections in zoos. This is so far away from our conservationist sensibilities now, that it is almost heartbreaking to read…
4. “He was sentenced to death, and shot” - wow (no spoilers!)
Overall, I really loved the book, really enjoyed the written language, read it in such a short time, as I couldn’t put it down, and would really recommend, BUT you MUST remember that it is of its time, try not criticise it whilst reading it for what was acceptable in the 50’s, and read it as a “historical book”!!
What I wasn’t prepared for though was that it was published in 1953, and was definitely of the era. There was nothing wrong with the story, it was beautiful to read, with such romantic, and elaborate language… however, you must remember that life has changed A LOT since then.
Not only do the books I read now not have the same language, a lot less elaborate, there are things which were normal in the 50’s that we baulk at nowadays.
1. The way in which he talks about “the blacks”.
2. The fact that places where there are “whites” are seen as civilised.
3. The hardest part for me - he is essentially taking animals from their habitat for collections in zoos. This is so far away from our conservationist sensibilities now, that it is almost heartbreaking to read…
4. “He was sentenced to death, and shot” - wow (no spoilers!)
Overall, I really loved the book, really enjoyed the written language, read it in such a short time, as I couldn’t put it down, and would really recommend, BUT you MUST remember that it is of its time, try not criticise it whilst reading it for what was acceptable in the 50’s, and read it as a “historical book”!!
December 30, 2019
When it was first written this 1950’s account of the trapping and removal of wild animals from their natural habitats in Cameroon for sale to European zoos was undoubtedly acceptable, entertaining and even educational. It has not aged well.
The callous way in which the local people are paid cash to bring in huge numbers of common and rare creatures without any training or consideration for the welfare of the individual animals or the sustainability of the residual populations belongs to a different time in history. The expedition is not, by modern standards, scientific, admirable, or justifiable. Most of the creatures captured appear not to have survived capture or captivity and so never reached a zoo.
The redeeming qualities of the book, for me, were the author’s renderings of his conversations with the locals, which are funny (although presumably the locals’ own accounts of these interactions with the European visitors could also have been made to sound equally, if not more,amusing) and the author’s “can do” spirit (presumably reasonably reliably described) in relation to his hands-on struggles to put dangerous, cornered animals into small sacks and his lack of attention to the dangers of water- and mosquito-borne diseases.
The callous way in which the local people are paid cash to bring in huge numbers of common and rare creatures without any training or consideration for the welfare of the individual animals or the sustainability of the residual populations belongs to a different time in history. The expedition is not, by modern standards, scientific, admirable, or justifiable. Most of the creatures captured appear not to have survived capture or captivity and so never reached a zoo.
The redeeming qualities of the book, for me, were the author’s renderings of his conversations with the locals, which are funny (although presumably the locals’ own accounts of these interactions with the European visitors could also have been made to sound equally, if not more,amusing) and the author’s “can do” spirit (presumably reasonably reliably described) in relation to his hands-on struggles to put dangerous, cornered animals into small sacks and his lack of attention to the dangers of water- and mosquito-borne diseases.
November 2, 2020
Hilarious, wonderful, funny, pure explorer adventure.
How many beef there were to a square mile, but after a few minutes of intense mental arithmetic I began to feel dizzy at the thought of such numbers and I gave it up. The hunter lay on the rock and went to sleep. I sat there and examined a vast area of forest with the aid of my field-glasses, and I found it a fascinating occupation. I followed the flight of the hornbills across the tops of the trees, which, from this distance, resembled the head of a cauliflower: I watched a troop of monkeys, only visible by the movement of the leaves as they jumped from tree to tree. Along the road a speck that looked like an exotic red beetle became the Mamfe to Kumba lorry, apparently creeping along the road and dragging a plume of dust behind it. I followed it along for quite some time and then switched to something else, which was a pity, as half a mile further on the lorry went through a bridge and dropped twenty feet into the river below, a thing I did not learn about until I returned home and found that John had spent the afternoon administering first aid to the wounded passengers. As the hunter was slumbering peacefully I at last climbed down from the rock and explored the grass field.
How many beef there were to a square mile, but after a few minutes of intense mental arithmetic I began to feel dizzy at the thought of such numbers and I gave it up. The hunter lay on the rock and went to sleep. I sat there and examined a vast area of forest with the aid of my field-glasses, and I found it a fascinating occupation. I followed the flight of the hornbills across the tops of the trees, which, from this distance, resembled the head of a cauliflower: I watched a troop of monkeys, only visible by the movement of the leaves as they jumped from tree to tree. Along the road a speck that looked like an exotic red beetle became the Mamfe to Kumba lorry, apparently creeping along the road and dragging a plume of dust behind it. I followed it along for quite some time and then switched to something else, which was a pity, as half a mile further on the lorry went through a bridge and dropped twenty feet into the river below, a thing I did not learn about until I returned home and found that John had spent the afternoon administering first aid to the wounded passengers. As the hunter was slumbering peacefully I at last climbed down from the rock and explored the grass field.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2021
Where do all the animals you see in a zoo come from? People like Gerald Durrell go to places, collect them and bring them back to the zoos. This sounds simple. It isn't.
Collecting can be dangerous work. It can be heartbreaking. It can be tedious. The logistics are staggering.
This book is about one of Durrell's earliest collection trips, one he made to the British Cameroons (now part of several other countries). It reflects a world no longer existing in the way he found it. Values on collecting and keeping exotic animals was different then too.
Durrell does not try to sugar coat his work or its consequences to the animals he collects. Some of it does not reflect well on people, both in their attitudes toward animals and treatment of the Earth.
The book is well written, interesting, easy to read. Some of the book reflects racial attitudes of days now gone in his dealings with the native people of the Cameroons.
Collecting can be dangerous work. It can be heartbreaking. It can be tedious. The logistics are staggering.
This book is about one of Durrell's earliest collection trips, one he made to the British Cameroons (now part of several other countries). It reflects a world no longer existing in the way he found it. Values on collecting and keeping exotic animals was different then too.
Durrell does not try to sugar coat his work or its consequences to the animals he collects. Some of it does not reflect well on people, both in their attitudes toward animals and treatment of the Earth.
The book is well written, interesting, easy to read. Some of the book reflects racial attitudes of days now gone in his dealings with the native people of the Cameroons.
dont-want-to-read
January 1, 2025I didn't read this but my mom just did and she as she shared tidbits from the book, both of us just kept going wide-eyes about the stuff that was written. Not only did it seem to portray in a glorified way the capture of animals in Africa for an English zoo (something I'm ethically very against - unless there is explicit species restoration involved), but it also seemed to be imbued with colonialist mentality and casual racism. I'm usually one to accept reading a book as part of a document belonging to "a certain era" but when the book at hand is less than a hundred years old and the man seems to be glorified to this day, when in fact there are excerpts that border on describing animal harassment and abuse, animals that should be left alone in their natural habitat, then I feel like it is my place to take a stand and not give any more attention to the book, its author and its contents.
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