A Bevy of Beasts

by Gerald Durrell

The author recreates a number of incidents that have occurred in the course of his work with the animals at Whipsnade Zoo in England and reveals his concern for the protection of wildlife

Genres: Animals, Nonfiction, Nature, Biography, Humor, Memoir, Biography Memoir

253 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 1973

About the author

Gerald "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.

Reviews

[Susann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delicious and funny! Durrell has the wit, the ability with the written English language and the sense of humor to turn any situation into a raconteur's dream story! Here he is as a young man at the Whipsnade Zoo working in the larger mammals' areas to gain experience on his way to a career in wild animal collecting. Who knew these terms for plural creatures: a lusk of lions, a triumph of tigers, a gallivant of gnus, a loom of giraffe and a superiority of camels. Pinpoint perfect portrayals of the individually named animals he worked with as well as the bizarre individuals on staff. Another priceless collection of anecdotes from his fascinating observations. And of course a passionate pleading to the reader to care about vanishing species.
The drawings by Edward Mortelmans are equally to be commended!

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

1973 - HB - borrowed it- read it

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

written in 1973, Mr Durrell gives an account as is time working in a zoo in England

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerald Durrell writes about his first job in a zoo. What he learns inspires him how to continue his life.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Bevy of Beasts is an old time classic that everyone should experience. I loved how each chapter introduced a new exotic animal at the zoo he was working at. Perhaps it is a story only an animal lover would enjoy because it did go quite in depth about each one. But overall I would recommend.

[MyLoveAffairWithTheWrittenWord · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always a delight to read one of Gerald Durrell's many memoirs. As a famous zoologist and naturalists, he was also one of the first to pioneer the idea that zoos were for the preservation and protection of endangered species, and not merely for human entertainment. Before he traveled the world collecting animals and eventually starting the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, on the Channel Islands, Durrell worked as an intern of sorts at the Whipsnade zoo, where he quickly learned how to (as well as how NOT to) successfully manage a zoo. I am a huge fan of all of his work, but particularly of his earlier memoirs; his life before he because the great conservationist that he was. My particular favorite will always be "My Family and Other Animals", leaning more toward his childhood years, but for his late teens/early twenties, so far "Bevy" stands out as a perfect example of how seriously he took his lifelong passion for animals.

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading a Gerald Durrell book is always a treat for me and this one was no exception.
"A Bevy of Beasts" is autobiographical about Durrell's first job as a zoo keeper. Each chapter covers a different section of the zoo and the animals included in the section. He writes about the animals he knew and the experiences he had interacting with them as well as with the other keepers.
This book takes place during World War II so some of it is a bit dated. The world has changed so much since then. But it is a slice of life in England during that time and is interesting for that aspect as well.
The prose has an easy flow to it, a relaxed feel. I found the book very enjoyable.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Durrell's memoir of his year at Whipsnade Zoo in the 1940s. He was 19 or 20, and it was his first real job. He lived at the zoo and learned about keepering as it was in those days. This experience, while retold with Durrell's trademarked hilarity, helped to form the staunch conservationist he was to become as an adult. A lovely slice of life, well-written and wry. His reverence for the animals informs every word.