From royal menageries of the ancient world, through medieval travelling animal shows, via the scientific establishments of the early 19th century and the classic Victorian zoo. Since civilisation began, humans have been catching, keeping, and displaying wild animals. They’re places of science, and spectacle. A fun day out with the kids. A chance to see Wild Things, safely contained, not far from the gift shop. Our relationship with the zoo has always been multi-faceted, and often controversial.

Today, the traditional zoo is being transformed, into bio-parks; conversation centres; animal sanctuaries. The barred cages are gone, and so are the elephant rides and the performing seals. Instead, interactive displays provide animal facts, and spell out our role in the world-wide destruction of habitats. Don’t worry, you can still get an ice-cream.

Emily Knight has always felt conflicted. An animal lover since childhood, she can think of no greater thrill than a close encounter with a wild thing. But the ‘wildness’ of the animals of the zoo is compromised, sanitised and reduced. In this series, she’ll discover where zoos came from, and where they’re going. She’ll wonder if we’re doing right by the animal inhabitants. And ask: is there any philosophical justification for keeping them captive in the first place?

In this first episode, we travel from the ancient worlds of Egypt, Greece, Babylon and Assyria. We visit the Roman Colosseum where animals are made to fight each other – and humans. We witness the splendour of Montezuma’s animal collections, and the spectacle of the medieval menagerie in the Tower of London, where polar bears swum in the Thames and elephants drank wine. And we’ll march alongside the radicals of the French Revolution, and discover how animals became a focal point for arguments about liberty.

Produced and Presented in Bristol, by Emily Knight Show less