Private Life Of The Rabbit Man

Life on a wild Welsh island drew Ronald Lockley to a career as a naturalist, during which he won an Oscar and inspired the classic novel Watership Down

- Marianne Taylor

Skokholm island, one of Pembrokeshire’s island jewels, is a coveted destination for birdwatchers and nature-lovers. You must rough it a little, though – there are no showers, no microwave, poor mobile reception – and as sailings are infrequent, you are stuck here for three days minimum. To get yourself in the mood, and reflect how things have changed, consider what Skokholm was like 90 years ago, when 24-year-old Ronald Lockley, then a hard-working farmhand, and his first wife paid for a 21-year lease of the whole island and moved there to begin a new life. They were the only humans living permanently on Skokholm at that time, the harshness of island life having defeated previous inhabitants. The enterprising young couple used driftwood from a shipwreck to renovate a farmhouse, and attempted to raise chinchilla rabbits to make a living. However, Ronald Lockley soon found that he could do better through writing about life – and wildlife – on the island, and so began his new career.

NATURAL SUCCESS