Uncaged

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

Emily Knight explores the tangled history, and the uncertain future, of zoos.

Uncaged

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

Emily Knight explores the tangled history, and the uncertain future, of zoos.

Uncaged

Spearheaded by the Zoological Society of London and their iconic zoo in Regent's Park, zoos begin to spring up all over the country, and then all over Europe, and the world. Zoos are many things to many people, all at once. A high-minded scientific institution, dedicated to zoology and the emerging theory of evolution. A place of 'rational recreation', drawing the common rabble out of the drinking-houses and into something a little more civilised. A nice day out, feeding buns to the elephants. And a tool of Empire, reinforcing colonial attitudes to the animals that are kept on show, and the places they were taken from. Science and spectacle; wildness tamed; dangerous beasts petted or ridden; they're a paradox, and phenomenally popular.

In this episode Emily Knight finds out how the design of zoos changed over the century, bringing animals out of cramped cages and putting them in naturalistic 'enclosures'. How the scandalous practice of 'ethnographic displays' (that's human beings in cages, to you and me) caught on, and was eventually brought down. And how our feelings about animal welfare evolved throughout the century, and our understanding of animals too.

Emily Knight finds out how the design of zoos changed over the century.

Uncaged

In the days of Empire, when nations plundered the world for its treasures, zoos were the places where they displayed the spoils. Fast forward to today, and as the damage we've done to the wild places of this earth becomes ever more apparent, zoos are the places we wrestle with the reality of what we've done. Gone are the elephant rides, the performing seals and the bears you can poke with a stick; in its place, centres for conservation excellence, in which endangered species are protected from the damage we continue to do to their homes.

The conservation revolution of the 20th century changed what zoos are forever, but so much remains the same; at the end of the day, it's still a load of animals in captivity. And while the best zoos tout their conservation credentials with pride, Roadside Attractions with baby tigers for petting spring up in their hundreds.

Emily Knight asks: What makes a good zoo, today? And where are zoos headed in the future?

Emily Knight explores the tangled history, and the uncertain future, of zoos.

Uncaged