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The Stationary Ark
The author records his struggles to create a zoo, a place where animals would be both happy and secure, from his discovery of an ideal site in the Channel Islands to his outfitting of such special areas as the maternity ward
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First published January 1, 1966
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About the author
Gerald Durrell
227 books1,712 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 34 reviews
December 1, 2020
Can you love animals and like zoos? I'm sure most animal enthusiasts or ethical vegans (which I count myself among) have asked themselves that question at some point. This book answers the question with a yes, you can and should.
Gerald Durrell is remembered as a British naturalist, zookeeper and conservationist, who dedicated his life to learning and teaching about animals. In this book, he tells the story of how his model zoo on Jersey came into being and uses the narrative to ask the big questions on what we should think about wild animals in human hands.
Durrell writing is open and rich with empathy, making me wish that everyone would hold discussions like this. He doesn't claim that zoos shouldn't be criticised, but what he asks is to question what is criticised. In order to understand animals and their needs, we need to make a distinction between them and us – particularly our concept of freedom. While there can be a lot of things wrong with a cage, it might not necessary be the fact that it's a cage.
I truly enjoyed the idea of a zoo's primary focus being research and the gathering of knowledge, instead of entertainment of the public. According to Durrell, in most cases the needs of the animals fall short. The book was first published in the 70s, we have three times as many zoos nowadays then we did back then, but the general problems still seem to remain, even half a century later.
This was an informative read, which I would recommend to anyone caring about the subject and maybe particularly those who are sceptic of zoos. This book is ready to prove people wrong who believe that in order to support a zoo, you need to be a cold-hearted hypocrite.
Gerald Durrell is remembered as a British naturalist, zookeeper and conservationist, who dedicated his life to learning and teaching about animals. In this book, he tells the story of how his model zoo on Jersey came into being and uses the narrative to ask the big questions on what we should think about wild animals in human hands.
Durrell writing is open and rich with empathy, making me wish that everyone would hold discussions like this. He doesn't claim that zoos shouldn't be criticised, but what he asks is to question what is criticised. In order to understand animals and their needs, we need to make a distinction between them and us – particularly our concept of freedom. While there can be a lot of things wrong with a cage, it might not necessary be the fact that it's a cage.
I truly enjoyed the idea of a zoo's primary focus being research and the gathering of knowledge, instead of entertainment of the public. According to Durrell, in most cases the needs of the animals fall short. The book was first published in the 70s, we have three times as many zoos nowadays then we did back then, but the general problems still seem to remain, even half a century later.
This was an informative read, which I would recommend to anyone caring about the subject and maybe particularly those who are sceptic of zoos. This book is ready to prove people wrong who believe that in order to support a zoo, you need to be a cold-hearted hypocrite.
April 19, 2020
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 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.
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.
August 1, 2015
Si alguna vez has ido al zoo y te ha dado pena que los animales vivan en jaulas demasiado pequeñas o que tengan barrotes en vez de cristal, este libro es para ti. Durrell te explica cómo los que no somos expertos en zoología criticamos cosas de los zoos que en realidad están bien y pasamos por alto lo que verdaderamente es importante. En este libro habla de por qué los zoos deberían ser centros de cría de especies en peligro y de investigación científica, siendo secundario el aspecto de entretenimiento y atracción pública. Te explica cómo funcionan diferentes ramas del zoo a través de ejemplos divertidos y emocionantes del propio zoo que Gerald Durrell fundó en Jersey. Te deja más tranquilo con respecto a algunas cosas y más inquieto con respecto a otras en las que no habías reparado. Te explica cómo puedes informarte y en qué tipo de cosas fijarte y qué cosas preguntar a tu zoo local para saber si están haciendo un buen trabajo científico y de cría de las especies en peligro. Interesante, ameno, esclarecedor y a la vez te plantea preguntas y te da que pensar. Durrell puede escribir del tema que sea que siempre me va a gustar su obra.
June 21, 2022
What is a zoo? To most people, a zoo is a place to go and stare at strange animals, a place of entertainment.
But, shouldn't a zoo be more than this? Shouldn't a zoo be a place to learn about wild animals, to try to protect those species in danger of going extinct? Gerald Durrell thinks so and this book makes his case.
How complicated is running a zoo? What can possibly go wrong when you are caring for several hundred wild animals with different personalities, nutritional needs, housing needs?
This book is much more serious than many of Durrell's books. It goes through many of the challenges of designing and running a zoo. However, the animals still take center stage in anecdote after anecdote.
The book is interesting reading and would make a future visit to a zoo more than just entertainment. Instead such a visit would be more rewarding with some background into the backstage work going on in the zoo, or should be going on, if the zoo is more than a side show of animals.
But, shouldn't a zoo be more than this? Shouldn't a zoo be a place to learn about wild animals, to try to protect those species in danger of going extinct? Gerald Durrell thinks so and this book makes his case.
How complicated is running a zoo? What can possibly go wrong when you are caring for several hundred wild animals with different personalities, nutritional needs, housing needs?
This book is much more serious than many of Durrell's books. It goes through many of the challenges of designing and running a zoo. However, the animals still take center stage in anecdote after anecdote.
The book is interesting reading and would make a future visit to a zoo more than just entertainment. Instead such a visit would be more rewarding with some background into the backstage work going on in the zoo, or should be going on, if the zoo is more than a side show of animals.
November 28, 2022
As Gerald Durrell made me visit Corfu with his Corfu Trilogy, so did he make me long to see the Isle of Jersey. I surely will one day!
February 23, 2020
Very different from Durrell’s more humorous novels, this is an earnest, impassioned treatise extolling the virtues of zoos when run for the benefit of the animals within and without, and not for the paying visitors. Properly managed zoos are vital for the conservation of endangered species, and Durrell eloquently makes the case for them here.
September 29, 2020
Had I read this when it was first published, the number of stars would have been greater as there would have been a lot of 'wow factor' about the ideas expressed. As is, the ideals expressed in the book are what we should expect from a modern zoo.
The struggle is still real - especially in terms of funding ans generating income from the public, when a lot of the public still want to have close encounters with the animals, and complain about animals on display being difficult to see and not 'doing anything'. They want to see baby animals, and they don't want to see old, bedraggled animals, without any thought to what should happen to all these baby animals as they grow up, and an old, less attractive animal that spends quite a lot of time in it's den has every right to do so. These are the sorts of people who should read this book and then maybe rethink the reviews they left for the zoo that complain about not being able to see certain animals, or not enough variety, or cruel cages.
This book made me check out the reviews for the zoo in my city. One of the negative reviews was about the lion enclosure not being big enough and the lions being old. 1. The zoo is in the process of building an improved lion habitat. 2. The needs of the animal - lions, apart from when actually killing something, don't 'do' anything. They conserve their energy by dozing in the shade. What do you want them to do? If they were pacing, the complaint would be the lions were pacing and bored. 3. If they look old and tired, that's because they are. Doesn't mean they aren't being looked after, doesn't mean their needs aren't being met. What should the zoo do, kill old animals to make room for new ones? A good zoo should have old animals, that means they are looking after them well. The little old dog you see going for what passes as a walk in it's old age, that smells funny and doesn't have many teeth and filmy eyes, that animal is still alive because it is being cared for. The owner is still bringing it out and maybe they just sit by a bench because the dog can't walk much anymore, but it enjoys being brought out. Just because it isn't as attractive as it was in it's youth, doesn't mean it deserves less or should be replaced.
So yeah, even when the zoo itself is doing better, the public perception if zoos still needs work. Doesn't matter how many educational signs they put up explaining why something is as it is e.g
- Animal is in moult, that's why it's not looking it's best but in x weeks it will be back to it's fabulous looking self.
- Animal has just been moved to new updated habitat with list of improvements made/why it is better than old habitat. You may not see animal as it is still acclimatising to it's new surroundings.
- X animal is very old and has taken to spending all it's time at the top of the climbing tower where it can look out across the park. This is what x likes to do. We cannot stop x doing this, nor would we want to.
People will ignore the information and say instead the animal is not being looked after, they didn't get their moneys worth because they didn't see an animal and/or the animal wasn't doing anything and was boring. I think it must be very disheartening for those who work at a good zoo.
The struggle is still real - especially in terms of funding ans generating income from the public, when a lot of the public still want to have close encounters with the animals, and complain about animals on display being difficult to see and not 'doing anything'. They want to see baby animals, and they don't want to see old, bedraggled animals, without any thought to what should happen to all these baby animals as they grow up, and an old, less attractive animal that spends quite a lot of time in it's den has every right to do so. These are the sorts of people who should read this book and then maybe rethink the reviews they left for the zoo that complain about not being able to see certain animals, or not enough variety, or cruel cages.
This book made me check out the reviews for the zoo in my city. One of the negative reviews was about the lion enclosure not being big enough and the lions being old. 1. The zoo is in the process of building an improved lion habitat. 2. The needs of the animal - lions, apart from when actually killing something, don't 'do' anything. They conserve their energy by dozing in the shade. What do you want them to do? If they were pacing, the complaint would be the lions were pacing and bored. 3. If they look old and tired, that's because they are. Doesn't mean they aren't being looked after, doesn't mean their needs aren't being met. What should the zoo do, kill old animals to make room for new ones? A good zoo should have old animals, that means they are looking after them well. The little old dog you see going for what passes as a walk in it's old age, that smells funny and doesn't have many teeth and filmy eyes, that animal is still alive because it is being cared for. The owner is still bringing it out and maybe they just sit by a bench because the dog can't walk much anymore, but it enjoys being brought out. Just because it isn't as attractive as it was in it's youth, doesn't mean it deserves less or should be replaced.
So yeah, even when the zoo itself is doing better, the public perception if zoos still needs work. Doesn't matter how many educational signs they put up explaining why something is as it is e.g
- Animal is in moult, that's why it's not looking it's best but in x weeks it will be back to it's fabulous looking self.
- Animal has just been moved to new updated habitat with list of improvements made/why it is better than old habitat. You may not see animal as it is still acclimatising to it's new surroundings.
- X animal is very old and has taken to spending all it's time at the top of the climbing tower where it can look out across the park. This is what x likes to do. We cannot stop x doing this, nor would we want to.
People will ignore the information and say instead the animal is not being looked after, they didn't get their moneys worth because they didn't see an animal and/or the animal wasn't doing anything and was boring. I think it must be very disheartening for those who work at a good zoo.
June 10, 2019
"Gerald Durrell has been a zoo-maniac since the age of two when he started collecting everything alive, from minnows to woodlice. When, finally, he decided to set up the Wildlife Preservation Trust in Jersey, he determined that it would b e different from those zoos -- alas, the majority -- to which parent reluctantly take children to ride an elephant an get sick on ice cream, and where animals are simply imprisoned. His would certainly be a research laboratory, an educational establishment and a conservation unit as well ..."
~~back cover
This book is a bit different than his previous ones, as it delves into how to construct and run a zoo for the benefit of the animals in the collection, as well as being "a research laboratory, an educational establishment and a conservation unit as well." Durrell's zoo concentrates on establishing breeding populations of endangered animals, sharing the offspring as breeding mates to other zoos, and hopefully returning the species to their native habitat in the future. Cages, feeding, mating, and medicines all have their separate essay and are extremely informative. While flashes of Durrell's trademark humor shine through, the necessity of delving into the various subjects requires a more serious outlook, which while interesting, is a bit more difficult to plow through on the non-zoo-affiliated reader.
~~back cover
This book is a bit different than his previous ones, as it delves into how to construct and run a zoo for the benefit of the animals in the collection, as well as being "a research laboratory, an educational establishment and a conservation unit as well." Durrell's zoo concentrates on establishing breeding populations of endangered animals, sharing the offspring as breeding mates to other zoos, and hopefully returning the species to their native habitat in the future. Cages, feeding, mating, and medicines all have their separate essay and are extremely informative. While flashes of Durrell's trademark humor shine through, the necessity of delving into the various subjects requires a more serious outlook, which while interesting, is a bit more difficult to plow through on the non-zoo-affiliated reader.
October 25, 2024
The passion of the author for his subject flows out into every page. However, the beginning and the ending were very difficult to concentrate as I felt it lacked interest for me. However, so much of the material in-between was fascinating and at times humorous that I give this book an extra star for it's writing.
I must say that this book does read a little like a "how-to-manual" ...if anyone is interested in starting a zoo? Anyone? But if you are interested in the arguments for and against zoos in general you will find this a good read. I especially found the arguments about what animals want to be really interesting and I am looking at my own animal husbandry with those views in mind.
I have always been on the fence where zoos are concerned, fortunately the zoos where I live are all good educating, conservation building zoos. They build enriching, beautiful, natural enclosures for their animals and all appear in good health and fairly happy. I will never forget however, seeing a gorilla sitting with his back to the glass panel. There was nowhere I could see for him to get away from the crowds of people peering in at him and while the rest of the troop seemed relaxed he was trying to hide himself in a sack and didn't look too happy. -Perhaps he was happy, I can't pretend to know what animals are thinking. But how can we really ever know?
I must say that this book does read a little like a "how-to-manual" ...if anyone is interested in starting a zoo? Anyone? But if you are interested in the arguments for and against zoos in general you will find this a good read. I especially found the arguments about what animals want to be really interesting and I am looking at my own animal husbandry with those views in mind.
I have always been on the fence where zoos are concerned, fortunately the zoos where I live are all good educating, conservation building zoos. They build enriching, beautiful, natural enclosures for their animals and all appear in good health and fairly happy. I will never forget however, seeing a gorilla sitting with his back to the glass panel. There was nowhere I could see for him to get away from the crowds of people peering in at him and while the rest of the troop seemed relaxed he was trying to hide himself in a sack and didn't look too happy. -Perhaps he was happy, I can't pretend to know what animals are thinking. But how can we really ever know?
December 2, 2021
I've always had the opinion that zoological gardens, first and foremost, need to serve a scientific purpose. This book, very boldly, proves it right. Here Durrell narrates how back then (and I can most confidently add "and now" too) few menageries were well kept, and how many a times the people running such collections are adequate directors but not zoo keepers, and so easily neglect the needs of the animals. Public entertainment should very well be the last purpose of a zoo, however such also provides an opportunity to increase public awareness. He also narrates several situations which they faced at his zoo in Jersey, from sick gorillas to fungi infected pheasants; which required a lot of care and attention especially at times when cures to such diseases were largely unknown. Jersey Zoo seems to be a pioneer in many regards, and such efforts should be duly replicated and at the very least appreciated. A very interesting read, and one that really summoned (yet again, as with several of Gerald Durrell's books) my love for such places and my desire to work with such amazing creatures.
February 13, 2024
The first time I read this it really impacted my little non-fiction loving heart as well as challenged my opinions of zoos and what they should be. Upon rereading, while some of the references and examples are very dated (card files and index cards), the passion and logic are still valid, as well as the commitment to scholarship, knowledge and conservation.
I would like to see an update to this book looking at how the Jersey Zoo has changed, as well as how zoos in general have developed in the intervening years. Obviously, it would not be by the author himself but I think it could be fitting as it gets close to the 50th anniversary of the book's publication.
For one example:" For many years, if you mentioned the subject in any august body of conservationists, they tended to look at you as if you had confessed to the belief that necrophilia was an ideal form of population control." referring to the need for controlled breeding for conservation.
PS - my opinion of the oxford comma (see 1st paragraph) to be used where it clarifies the meaning and intent, and not used where it is simply unnecessary.
I would like to see an update to this book looking at how the Jersey Zoo has changed, as well as how zoos in general have developed in the intervening years. Obviously, it would not be by the author himself but I think it could be fitting as it gets close to the 50th anniversary of the book's publication.
For one example:" For many years, if you mentioned the subject in any august body of conservationists, they tended to look at you as if you had confessed to the belief that necrophilia was an ideal form of population control." referring to the need for controlled breeding for conservation.
PS - my opinion of the oxford comma (see 1st paragraph) to be used where it clarifies the meaning and intent, and not used where it is simply unnecessary.
January 3, 2018
Даррелл желал бороться с ложным гуманизмом. Что под ним следует понимать? Это представление людей о содержании диких зверей в неволе. Посетителю зоопарка может казаться, будто нужно поместить животных в более крупные клетки, либо вовсе сформировать для них зону свободного перемещения. Так уж сложилось, что человек в действительности не может точно знать, каким образом лучше содержать питомцев. Для того и создаются зоопарки, дабы изучать повадки животных, обеспечивать их времяпровождение и стараться обеспечить возможность получения потомства. Прочее, в том числе и выставление зверей для лицезрения людьми – вынужденная мера, обеспечивающая нужду в притоке финансов на содержание учреждения. Будь всё идеально, то доступ в зоопарк был бы запрещён, чтобы не вызывать дискомфорт у питомцев, должных хоть где-то сохраниться, поскольку согласно естественному отбору они обречены на вымирание.
(c) Trounin
(c) Trounin
June 5, 2021
The Stationary Ark is different from most of Gerald Durrell's non-fiction. It's more of a Zookeeping 101 than a full-on memoir, but it's fun to read about all the different factors involved in making a zoo that is best for the animals. Everything from architecture to breeding programs is discussed, with lots of anecdotes for added interest. The chapter on recordkeeping was too dry by Durrell standards, but most everything else is entertaining enough even for people who don't plan to work with animals at all. Durrell also weighs in a lot on the debates over whether or not zoos are ethical, and how zoos can be valuable to conservation when they are designed and managed with the animals' needs as the top priority.
The Stationary Ark is an unusual Durrell book, but a very good read for animal lovers on both sides of the zoo debate!
The Stationary Ark is an unusual Durrell book, but a very good read for animal lovers on both sides of the zoo debate!
January 27, 2018
Po tejto knihe som siahla ako po "ďalšej Durrellovke" a očakávala som zábavné historky so zvieratami, prípadne rodinou. A ona je vlastne úplne iná. Durrell rozpráva o zakladaní zoo na ostrove Jersey a zároveň o fungovaní (alebo nefungovaní) zoologických záhrad všeobecne. Venuje sa kŕmeniu, výbehom, odchovu v zajatí a rôznym iným aspektom. Výborná kniha, ktorá človeku zmení pohľad pri návšteve zoo.
March 17, 2019
Very much informative and engaging for an animal lover like me.
Want to read
January 18, 2020About establishing a zoo on Jersey.
June 3, 2020
Eloquent, gentle, hilarious.
June 10, 2021
Parts of this were good and parts were very pedantic. I felt like I was listening to a lecture about good versus bad zoos.
August 4, 2024
Really.liked it - incredibly astute book that still holds weight today - made better by the fact this was written 60 years ago!
April 8, 2024
While there are reminiscences there is also a lot about the philosophy of Zoos and how to run them.
November 24, 2016
If you’re like me, you have mixed feelings about zoos and aquaria. On the one hand, it’s an awe-inspiring experience to see the mighty, ferocious, and odd creatures that don’t make it into one’s backyard (for those who even have yards.) On the other hand, one has to wonder whether the creatures on display are as miserable as one would be in their shoes. (i.e. Figurative shoes. I do know that other animals don’t wear shoes… Except for horses… but I digress.)
In this book, Gerald Durrell examines the question of what makes for a zoo that’s good for the animals as well as for its human visitors. Most of us are sophisticated enough to realize that straight-up anthropomorphization (projecting human thought processes onto animals) isn’t a sound way to get to the bottom of an animal’s experience. Animals seem much more resilient than humans, but they aren’t infinitely tolerant. While one can’t conduct a “zoo resident satisfaction survey,” there are means by which to gain insight into the animal’s state of well-being, including: its health, its appetite, and its sex drive / reproductive success.
Durrell had the experience of opening a zoo, and was himself dismayed by what he saw at many of the zoos he visited. In some cases, they were designed for optimal viewing but didn’t give adequate consideration to the well-being of the animals. However, some zoos genuinely tried to act in the best interest of the animals, but they missed the mark by projecting human thinking onto animals--instead of examining the evidence for what conditions positively (or negatively) impact the animals’ health, appetite, and sex drive.
This short book (less than 150 pages) consists of seven chapters. The first chapter presents the challenges Durrell went through in trying to open a new and different kind of zoo. Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 6, respectively, examine the issues that must be taken into account with regards to enclosures, feeding, mating, and sick animals. Obviously, these chapters don’t cover the entirety of the subject in detail, but rather combine generalities with a few interesting (and often humorous) examples from specific species. Chapter 5 gets into the challenges of keeping records in a zoo that isn’t just about entertainment but is also focused on conservation and education. The last chapter sums up Durrell’s arguments for how Zoos can be of benefit to animal species other than humans.
There are no graphics, notations, or bibliography. It’s not that kind of book, but is rather an extended essay. It does feature both humor and insight in good measure.
I’d recommend this book for those who want to better understand what features of a zoo are good (or bad) for the animals, and how zoos might be restructured to advance their roles in conservation and education.
In this book, Gerald Durrell examines the question of what makes for a zoo that’s good for the animals as well as for its human visitors. Most of us are sophisticated enough to realize that straight-up anthropomorphization (projecting human thought processes onto animals) isn’t a sound way to get to the bottom of an animal’s experience. Animals seem much more resilient than humans, but they aren’t infinitely tolerant. While one can’t conduct a “zoo resident satisfaction survey,” there are means by which to gain insight into the animal’s state of well-being, including: its health, its appetite, and its sex drive / reproductive success.
Durrell had the experience of opening a zoo, and was himself dismayed by what he saw at many of the zoos he visited. In some cases, they were designed for optimal viewing but didn’t give adequate consideration to the well-being of the animals. However, some zoos genuinely tried to act in the best interest of the animals, but they missed the mark by projecting human thinking onto animals--instead of examining the evidence for what conditions positively (or negatively) impact the animals’ health, appetite, and sex drive.
This short book (less than 150 pages) consists of seven chapters. The first chapter presents the challenges Durrell went through in trying to open a new and different kind of zoo. Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 6, respectively, examine the issues that must be taken into account with regards to enclosures, feeding, mating, and sick animals. Obviously, these chapters don’t cover the entirety of the subject in detail, but rather combine generalities with a few interesting (and often humorous) examples from specific species. Chapter 5 gets into the challenges of keeping records in a zoo that isn’t just about entertainment but is also focused on conservation and education. The last chapter sums up Durrell’s arguments for how Zoos can be of benefit to animal species other than humans.
There are no graphics, notations, or bibliography. It’s not that kind of book, but is rather an extended essay. It does feature both humor and insight in good measure.
I’d recommend this book for those who want to better understand what features of a zoo are good (or bad) for the animals, and how zoos might be restructured to advance their roles in conservation and education.
December 16, 2015
This is an unlikely read for someone who isn't particularly interested in animals. But fear not, desultory reader, this book is worth your time. How, you may ask?
The author has (much to the chagrin of the marketing team responsible for the nursery-book cover) penned a light but conscientious and well-reasoned case for what zoological gardens should aspire to become. The innumerable anecdotes steeped in sentimentality and wonder serve to underlind his stance on topics ranging from the correct architecture of cages to the psychology of an ailing animal to the data-collection tools to be used in these institutions.
I think the book really comes through because the author respect that fact that the average reader might not be as concerned or passionate about animal conservation. He choses to develop his thesis with slow but concise facts, stories and assumptions without taking himself too seriously. His unromanticized recounting of his struggles with the early days of the Trust alongside his travel expeditions enchant and captivate while educating the unsuspecting reader.
The book lost steam in the second half since certain opinions snuck up in almost all the chapters, belying the compassion and urgent concern of the author who couldn't articulate the relevance of these opinions to the new context in a sufficiently unique manner. I could feel myself skim paragraphs.
As a whole, I think this is a very soft and heart-warming piece of non-fiction that makes for a nice addition to the shelf of an eclectic reader.
The author has (much to the chagrin of the marketing team responsible for the nursery-book cover) penned a light but conscientious and well-reasoned case for what zoological gardens should aspire to become. The innumerable anecdotes steeped in sentimentality and wonder serve to underlind his stance on topics ranging from the correct architecture of cages to the psychology of an ailing animal to the data-collection tools to be used in these institutions.
I think the book really comes through because the author respect that fact that the average reader might not be as concerned or passionate about animal conservation. He choses to develop his thesis with slow but concise facts, stories and assumptions without taking himself too seriously. His unromanticized recounting of his struggles with the early days of the Trust alongside his travel expeditions enchant and captivate while educating the unsuspecting reader.
The book lost steam in the second half since certain opinions snuck up in almost all the chapters, belying the compassion and urgent concern of the author who couldn't articulate the relevance of these opinions to the new context in a sufficiently unique manner. I could feel myself skim paragraphs.
As a whole, I think this is a very soft and heart-warming piece of non-fiction that makes for a nice addition to the shelf of an eclectic reader.
February 20, 2024
Una bonita visión de lo que es o, al menos debería ser, un zoo. Haciendo ver que hay cosas más imoortantes que el recinto. Haciendo hincapié en que un zoo no es y no debería ser un lugar de entretenimiento, cómo la mayoría de la gente piensa, sino un lugar científico y de reproducción y conservación de especies amenazadas o que quizá, algún día, tristemente estén extintas...
July 14, 2012
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 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.
October 13, 2013
Mindennél jobban becsülöm azokat a könyveket, melyek képesek elültetni bennem a kételkedés szikráját, és a történet végére érve elérik, hogy gyökeresen másként gondolkodjak egy adott témáról. Gerald Durrellnek nemcsak sikerült meggyőznie az állatkertek létjogosultságáról, de számos tévhitet is végérvényesen tisztázott. Megtanított arra, hogy a ketreceket az állatok szemszögéből kritizáljam, miközben szörnyülködőből érdeklődő és tudatos látogatóvá fejlődtem. Kételkedő énemnek bebizonyította, hogy a gondos ápolásnak köszönhetően a bentlakók is jól érezhetik magukat az állatkert védett környezetében. Megtanultam, hogy a látszólag sokkal inkább állatbarát szafaripark-iparág milyen elszívó erőt jelent a vadon élő állatállományra nézve, és azt is, hogy nyereségcentrikusságuk miatt csak kevés van köztük, ami jól működik és valódi természetvédelmi jelentőséggel bír.
June 15, 2013
Gerald Durrell helped establish a model zoo on the Isle of Jersey, an experience that caused him to reconsider the whole question of wild animals in human hands.
"On one level, the book is about zoos. More profoundly, however, THE STATIONARY ARK is about the misuse of wild animals in captivity. Durrell's material reveals a fascinating blind spot in modern zoological thought, namely that we are almost completely ignorant about the important facts of many wild animals' lives." (Saturday Review)
"On one level, the book is about zoos. More profoundly, however, THE STATIONARY ARK is about the misuse of wild animals in captivity. Durrell's material reveals a fascinating blind spot in modern zoological thought, namely that we are almost completely ignorant about the important facts of many wild animals' lives." (Saturday Review)
May 12, 2015
Very good book. Written in the 1970's, its the description of how zoos should work, what they need to do to be conservation organizations, and why some of the common criticisms of zoos are not correct - although it indicates there are other criticisms that SHOULD be leveled at a lot of the institutions. It gives very good arguments, as well as fun anecdotes. It gives a list of questions visitors should ask their zoos, to keep them accountable and on track with the real mission.
A very good listen.
A very good listen.
April 27, 2016
Durrell argues in this book that entertainment cannot be the primary goal of a zoo, and instead it should focus on breeding of almost extinct species, on the reintroduction of these species in the wild, and on research. On the other hand, Durrell saw himself how difficult it is to get financing for something that isn't profitable. It amazing and admirable how he succeeded with his Jersey Zoo (now a global conservation organisation that strives to save species from extinction) thanks to donations and the goodwill of his staff. A great read, recommended.
July 27, 2016
One for the fans: Durrell writes about how one should manage and run a zoo as a conservation unit. Loads of interesting ideas, a couple of great anecdotes but a bit too po faced for me.
January 13, 2013
Worth reading if you intend to visit his zoo on the Isle of Jersey.
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