Gerald Durrell, renowned British naturalist and writer, passed away on January 30th 1995 at the age of 70. Durrell was born to a British family in India in 1925 and, following his family's relocation back to Britain, developed an abiding passion for conservation and zoology. Durrell's best-known works include the seminal autobiographical books My Family and Other Animals (1956), Birds, Beasts and Relatives (1969), and The Garden of the Gods (1978). Durrell's considerable and longstanding impact upon the cause of conservation can be witnessed through the creation, in the later decades of his life, of his conservation foundation, the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, as well as his zeal in establishing one of the very first captive breeding programmes, aimed at preserving some of the world's most endangered species. Durrell's immense contributions to zoology, nature conservation, literature and the cause of animal rights continue to be respected and admired around the world.