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.
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