A LEGENDARY zoo set up more than 60 years ago is said to be in crisis after being accused of trying to turn into Disneyland.
Jersey Zoo was initially opened to save animals and birds from extinction but it's said to be now be bringing in just to please crowds.
Former workers and other insiders have now slammed management, saying they're just “chasing a quick buck”.
The zoo, which was founded by naturalist Gerald Durrell in 1959, has always been known for its groundbreaking research and scientific work.
Gerald wrote a book called My Family and Other Animals three years prior, and it went on to inspire the much-loved series The Durrells.
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But now Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, which runs the zoo, is being accused of ruining his legacy and “Disneyfying” the site.
The Times reported chaos started bubbling last week when head of mammals Dominic Wormell walked out after 34 years.
He wrote on Facebook that he didn't want to leave but said there were "some changes he can't support".
Dominic said: “The problem with chasing a cheap buck, just going with the common species that adverts and Walt Disney have made popular with the masses, it is a cop-out in many ways, and there’s no evidence it has a sustained impact on revenue.
"Why are we, the zoo community, not making champions of the underdogs, the species that need our help, instead of falling into the same old commercialism?”
An insider also blasted management for bringing in the likes of sloths and aardvarks, instead of endangered animals.
Speaking of the zoo's butterfly house, they said: “It’s beautiful, but they’re not endangered.
"If Durrell is bringing in rare species such as a sloth, just so people can see it up close, but they’re not breeding them or learning from them, then it’s probably against Gerald’s original principles.”
But the zoo's board fought back, saying it had poured more cash than ever into conservation and saving animals.
The board said: “Exemplary animal husbandry and welfare will always be our main priority and at the heart of everything we do at Durrell.
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"We are proud of the passionate care that we provide for our animals, as well as the many awards that we have received over the years for our ground-breaking work in conservation.”
