Later Life and Death
A hard, outdoor life led Durrell to health problems in the 1980s. He underwent hip-replacement surgery in a bid to counter arthritis, but he also suffered from alcohol-related liver problems. His health deteriorated rapidly after the 1990 Madagascar trip. Durrell died of septicaemia following a liver transplant on 30 January 1995, shortly after his 70th birthday. His ashes are buried in Jersey Zoo, under a memorial plaque bearing a quote by William Beebe.
"The beauty and genius of a work of art may be re-conceived, though its first material expression be destroyed; a vanished harmony may yet again inspire the composer; but when the last individual of a race of living beings breathes no more, another heaven and another earth must pass before such a one can be again."
(The Bird, 1906)
A memorial celebrating Durrell's life and work was held at the Natural History Museum, London on 28 June 1995. Participants included personal friends such as David Attenborough and HRH Princess Anne.
Read more about this topic: Gerald Durrell
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