Jersey Zoo 25th Anniversary – Senior Staff Part 2

Jersey Zoo is fortunate to have a dedicated staff. without whom its results would not be nearly so impressive as they have been.

Some of them have been with the zoo for many years and here some of the longest serving and senior staff members are featured

Simon Hicks — Trust Secretary

After a distinguished career in the army, Simon Hicks was, in his own words ”Struck by a bolt as a result of the most extra-ordinary process of luck and opportunity”. He was staying with George Adamson, under Mount Kenya, in what is now the Meru Reserve. His task was to help drill the new game wardens in the skills of ambush control for poachers. Finding himself on the same level as some of the most impressive forms of wildlife, he decided there and then that he would do something associated with wildlife.

On returning to England he studied for a Certificate in Field Biology while working in a variety of jobs, such as game keeping, forestry, and farming. After a number of years as an RSPB Warden and a warden on Exmoor, Simon became Director of The British Trust for Conservation. He led a group of Conservation Volunteers on a field task to the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust where he met Gerald Durrell. (He also proposed to the cook who happened to be his former secretary and they subsequently got married.)

Three and a half years later he was summoned to Jersey by Gerald Durrell who offered Simon the position of Zoological Co-ordinator. Arriving on the fortuitous date of April 1, 1976, one of his first tasks was to look at the Adoption Scheme which had been running for some time but was only 10 per cent effective. The end result was a scheme that was more than 90 per cent effective. This now brings in an annual sum in excess of £14,000 which helps to pay much of the Zoo’s food bills.

Another innovation introduced by Simon was the SAFE appeal (Save Animals From Extinction). With its emotive yet descriptive title it raises £12,000 to £14,000 a year. This money is used to pay for specific items in selected breeding programmes.

Now, as Trust Secretary, Simon is a great believer in setting up working groups (particularly with volunteers) which he can co-ordinate. This presents a wonderful opportunity for the trust as a captive breeding centre to become more effective in its conservation work.

David Jeggo - Associate Curator of Birds

David's ambition to work in a Zoo goes back to early childhood and shortly after leaving school in 1970, his lucky break came when he started work at Jersey Zoo. After an initial period as general relief keeper, he was able to follow his principal interests of working with birds.

Now the associate curator, David sees his role as a co-ordinator of the bird section and its staff of six.

Over the years, he has seen a reduction in the number of species in the collection (There are now about 42) with more individuals of each (about 400). There has been an increased specialisation, particularly with the main breeding programmes for species such as the pink pigeon, Rodrigues fody, St. Lucia parrot and Rothschild’s mynah.

The Trust first became involved with the St. Lucia parrot in 1974 and a year later David conducted a field survey to assess the needs for conservation measures. With the co-operation of the St. Lucia Government he secured enough fledgling birds to establish a captive breeding programme.

In August 1980, Hurricane Allen hit St. Lucia causing much damage to the forest and to the island in general. The Government immediately asked David to return to assess the effect of the damage on the parrots followed by a census in 1982.

With his experience of parrots, David represents the trust as secretary of the International Captive Breeding Consortium for the St. Vincent parrot, established in 1980.

David also played an integral part in the breeding programme for the pink pigeon, culminating in the release of birds into the wild in Mauritius.

For the future, David feels that genetic considerations will play on increasing part in the management of threatened species. Also it will be important to enlarge the breeding programmes by involving other zoological collections.