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LONDON, Aug 11, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- "My Family and Other Animals," a story of a boy's love of nature written by the late British conservationist Gerald Durrell, is being reissued by his widow.
Durrell wrote the book about his experiences arriving as a boy on the island of Corfu, which his wife, Lee Durrell, said he described like "the moment when Dorothy stepped out of the house in The Wizard of Oz and it was all Technicolor," The Independent said. A million copies of that book sold.
Fifty years after its first publication, the book is being republished by Penquin in two editions, one for children and one for adults. Although Durrell died in 1995, his wife, a zoologist, wants to influence a new generation with his classic work, The Independent reported.
Durrell's writings preceded the conservation movement. "Gerry thought we had an opportunity to give animals a breeding sanctuary. It was revolutionary and he was very much laughed at, but he was proved right," Lee Durrell said.
He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in 1959 with the mission of preserving species and began a zoo on the island of Jersey. The trust now has 100 staff members and projects in 50 countries.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
