When Gerald Durrell was six he told his mother that he intended to have his own zoo. This 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.