When Gerald Durrell was six he told his mother that he intended to have his own zoo. The Ark's Anniversary is the story of how he achieved his ambition and how his dream grew into The Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust, to become a major world force in wildlife conservation.

Whether the author is on the trail of a bank manager or a pigmy hoe, whether he is courting patrons or tracking a Gunther's gecko, his enthusiasm remains undiminished as, Noah-like, he gathers in his wonderful collection of rare and exotic animals to save them from extinction.