Gerald Durrell’s widow speaks to the Sunday Times: My family and other animals are concerned about Corfu

She refers to the unanswered letter she sent to the Prime Minister last year, in which she said, “The area called Erimitis, in the north east of the island, is 500 acres of forest land with wetlands and is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna including the otter and strawberry trees. I understand that approximately 120 acres have been sold to an American property developer, NCH Capital, which plans to transform 45 acres into a tourist resort with a harbour. This would destroy the natural beauty and ecological value of the area and lead to the extermination of thousands of animals and plants. 

I have been told that many residents in Corfu along with the Municipal authorities and Regional Administration have expressed serious concern and requested that the development not go ahead. I completely support their objections, especially as the widow of Gerald Durrell, the British naturalist and writer, who spent his childhood in Corfu and is known and loved by millions of people all over the world. Some say that Gerald ‘put Corfu on the map’ and the island has certainly benefitted financially from the tourism that resulted from his well-known books about his childhood.

The complete destruction of the beautiful Erimitis area for financial gain is not an acceptable exchange for the residents of Corfu and visitors to the island. The despoiling of Erimitis would be a great loss for Corfu, not gain.