'What we tried to do in Jersey is create a new sort of zoo. I think we have succeeded.' In this important book Gerald Durrell describes his battles to create his vision of a new sort of zoo at Jersey with descriptions of his successes and failures with a liberal sprinkling of zoo animal tales on the way. Much of Gerald Durrell's long-standing basic captive breeding and conservation vision, which may, in a new century, seem almost obvious, is set out here along with prophecies - just one almost throwaway instance: 'In our next step, we plan to form the Trust into a kind of mini-university of wildlife husbandry and breeding'.