This inspirational zoo was founded by writer and naturalist Gerald Durrell, who dreamed of creating a safe place for his animals since he was 6 years old. The emphasis is on the conservation and breeding of endangered species, and their reintroduction into the wild, as well as the training of conservationists. Inhabitants have a remarkable amount of freedom, with primates, bears and lemurs roaming around natural wooded environments.
Notable creatures include the critically endangered ploughshare tortoise from Madagascar, 'mountain chicken' frog from Montserrat and Dominica, the blue iguana from the Cayman Islands, Andean bears, plus families of orangutans and lowland gorillas.