Rare specimens collected by naturalist Gerald Durrell donated to museum

Specimens of rare species collected by the celebrated naturalist Gerald Durrell have been donated to National Museums Scotland.

The donation of more than 550 specimens and samples is now available for scientific research.

It includes a specimen of the critically endangered mountain chicken frog, of which there were thought to be only 23 wild examples on Dominica in 2023.

Durrell, who died in 1995, was a conservationist and TV presenter who founded Jersey Zoo.

He was best known for his autobiographical book My Family And Other Animals, which described his childhood years.

This was adapted into an ITV series called The Durrells.

The collection donated to National Museums Scotland (NMS) also includes the skin of a zebra duiker, an endangered species of antelope, which Durrell received during a trip to Sierra Leone in 1965.

The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust donated the samples to NMS’s natural sciences collection.

Professor Andrew Kitchener, principal curator of vertebrate biology at National Museums Scotland, said: “Gerald Durrell was an influential champion for wildlife and his advocacy continues through the remarkable work of the trust.

“This important donation represents an invaluable addition to our 300-year-old natural sciences collection and will enable researchers to learn more about the lives of endangered species, informing conservation efforts around the world.”

Dave Houston of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust said: “The trust is delighted to have been able to make such a significant contribution to the invaluable work of National Museums Scotland on this, the centenary of our founder’s birth.

“We are excited to think that after a lifetime under the care of Jersey Zoo the contributions these specimens can make to conservation science will extend well into the future, underscoring the trust’s continued commitment to saving species from extinction.”