[[quoteright:340:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gerald_durrell.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:340:He's the one on the right.]]

->''"There is no first world and third world. There is only one world, for all of us to live and delight in."''

Gerald Malcolm "Gerry" Durrell [[UsefulNotes/KnightFever OBE]] (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was an English naturalist, zookeeper, conservationist, author and television presenter. Obsessed with animals, he devoted his life to the conservation of endangered species, and founded the Jersey Zoo and the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now called Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in his honour).

Durrell was the author of many books, mostly autobiographical works about his childhood in Corfu and his expeditions to various places in the world, as well as some humourous novels and children's books. His recurring themes are animals with loveable personalities, eccentric and unusual people, and the fragility of nature. He was also the presenter of a handful of radio and television programmes.

He was also the younger brother of Creator/LawrenceDurrell, who is best known as the author of the ''Literature/AlexandriaQuartet''. Lawrence appears as the loud and constantly complaining "Larry" in the Corfu stories.

!! His notable works include:
[[index]]
Autobiographical books:
* ''Literature/TheOverloadedArk'': first expedition to Cameroon.
* ''Literature/ThreeSinglesToAdventure'': expedition to British Guyana.
* ''Literature/TheBafutBeagles'': second expedition to Cameroon.
* ''Literautre/TheDrunkenForest'': expedition to Paraguay.
* ''Literature/MyFamilyAndOtherAnimals'': part 1 of the "Corfu Trilogy", retelling his childhood adventures on the island of Corfu.
* ''Literature/AZooInMyLuggage'': third expedition to Cameroon.
* ''Literature/TheWhisperingLand'': expedition to Argentina.
* ''Literature/MenagerieManor'': founding of the Jersey Zoo.
* ''Literature/TwoInTheBush'': expedition to Australia and New Zealand.
* ''Literature/BirdsBeastsAndRelatives'': part 2 of the "Corfu Trilogy".
* ''Literature/FilletsOfPlaice'': one of his very few books not focusing on animals, it's a collection of humorous stories about eccentric people he met.
* ''Literature/BeastsInMyBelfry'': working at Whipsnade Zoo as an apprentice zookeeper.
* ''Literature/TheGardenOfTheGods'': part 3 of the "Corfu Trilogy".[[/index]]
* ''Literature/ThePicnicAndSuchlikePandemonium'': short stories (including some fictional stories, such as a GothicHorror story called "The Entrance").
* ''Literature/DurrellInRussia'': expedition to [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Russia]].[[index]]
* ''Litearature/TheAyeAyeAndI'': expedition to Madagascar.

Fiction:
* ''Literature/TheDonkeyRustlers'': children's book, taking place on a Greek island.
* ''Litarature/RosieIsMyRelative'': story of a man inheriting an elephant.
* ''Literature/TheTalkingParcel'': fantasy novel; later adapted into an animated film.
* ''Literature/TheMockeryBird'': story of a man discovering a thought-to-be-extinct bird on a remote island.
* ''Literature/TheFantasticFlyingJourney'': story of three children travelling around the world with their eccentric uncle, using TranslatorMicrobes to talk to animals.
* ''Literature/TheFantasticDinosaurAdventure'': sequel to ''The Fantastic Flying Journey'': the children and their uncle travel in time to the age of dinosaurs.
[[/index]]

!!Tropes associated with him:
* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Almost all people in his books are portrayed as quirky and eccentric.
* CreatorsOddball: His books are usually comedic stories about animals and eccentric people. However, he also wrote "The Entrance", a straightforward, non-comedic GothicHorror story, as well as ''Literature/TheTalkingParcel'', a fantasy book for children.
* DerailedForDetails: In his "Corfu Trilogy", he relates that this was the only way he was able to learn history. His tutor told him all about Lord Nelson's butterfly collection and the names of Hannibal's elephants.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: He was obsessed with animals of all size and shape.
* GreenAesop: The conclusion of most of his books and shows is that nature is beautiful, fragile, and the most important thing a man can do is to protect it.
* HilarityInZoos: Many of his books (most notably, ''Menagerie Manor'' and ''Beasts in my Belfry'') take place in a zoo, where a lot of amusing things happen. (''A Zoo in my Luggage'', despite its title, is not an example: it is about an expedition to Cameroon.)
* IWasBeatenByAGirl: In ''The Overloaded Ark'', local boys whom Durrell was paying for catching animals often brought them badly wounded. It took a lot of lecturing to teach them better, but the case that finally worked was when, right in the middle of such a lecture, a girl brought him three birds in pristine condition. Durrell then proceeded to invoke the trope by explaining this girl is a better hunter than the boys, since these are birds he would buy, and at a very good price. Once they saw how much he paid the girl, wounded catches became a rare exception.
* PetBabyWildAnimal: He kept a lot of them as a child, including, for example, an large gull, a scorpion, and an owl (however, his family [[EveryoneHasStandards drew the line at a bear]]).
* UnreliableNarrator: His books may be autobiographical, but many details, incidents and scenarios depart from an objective account, mostly [[RuleOfFunny for the sake of comedy]].
* VoiceForTheVoiceless: He often presented himself as the voice for endangered animals.
* WokenUpAtAnUngodlyHour: In ''The Drunken Forest'', an armadillo is brought to the Durrells' house in Paraguay early in the morning, and their interpreter Rafael complains he [[NotInMyContract hasn't promised to act as interpreter at 5 a.m.]]
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