Please note that this book has been updated as part of the ZSL200 blog series.

For readers fascinated by the history of zoological collections and the transformation of menageries into modern scientific institutions, The Zoo: The Wild and Wonderful Tale of the Founding of London Zoo offers a lively and richly textured account of one of the most influential developments in the history of animal exhibition. Covering the first quarter-century of the institution now known as London Zoo, Charman’s book explores how a small group of scientists, aristocrats, and animal enthusiasts created what was arguably the world’s first modern zoo. The result is a work that combines narrative history, biography, and social commentary, illuminating the complex interplay between science, empire, curiosity, and spectacle that lay behind the birth of the zoological garden. This is a book that I started to read as soon as I bought it and pretty much read cover to cover, around work and sleep. At its core, Charman’s book recounts the founding of the Zoological Society of London in the 1820s and the subsequent creation of its zoological gardens in Regent’s Park. The initiative was largely driven by Stamford Raffles, a colonial administrator and naturalist who envisioned a scientific institution modelled in part on Paris’s Jardin des Plantes. His goal was not merely to entertain the public but to create a place dedicated to zoological study and the systematic collection of animal species from around the world.

Charman situates this ambition firmly within the context of early nineteenth-century Britain. The period was one of rapid imperial expansion and scientific curiosity. Diplomats, traders, and colonial officials regularly transported exotic animals back to Europe, creating opportunities for scientific study while also feeding public fascination with creatures from distant lands. What makes The Zoo particularly engaging is its portrayal of this moment as both visionary and chaotic. The founding of the institution was an audacious experiment, taking place at a time when very little was understood about the care of wild animals in captivity. Mortality rates were high, knowledge was scarce, and the infrastructure required to house animals from tropical climates in damp London conditions was rudimentary at best. For readers interested in the evolution of zoo husbandry, this period of trial and error is one of the book’s most illuminating themes. Huge amounts of hard work were made to ensure that the zoo was successful, with around 100,000 visitors being drawn to Regent’s Park in the first year.

Rather than presenting a straightforward institutional history, Charman structures the book around the lives of several individuals who shaped the zoo’s early decades. Among them are the architect Decimus Burton, responsible for many of the early buildings, the keeper Devereux Fuller, and the veterinary surgeon Charles Spooner. The narrative also features scientists such as Charles Darwin and naturalists like John Gould. This approach gives the book a biographical richness that distinguishes it from more conventional histories of zoos. By focusing on the personalities involved, Charman conveys how personal ambition, rivalry, and curiosity drove the development of the institution. For instance, Burton’s architectural work is portrayed not simply as functional but as an attempt to reconcile aesthetic ideals with the practical challenges of housing exotic animals. Early enclosures were often designed more for the comfort and viewing pleasure of visitors than for the welfare of the animals themselves, a revealing detail about Victorian priorities. Similarly, the struggles of keepers and veterinarians illustrate how little was known about animal care. Tropical animals frequently succumbed to the cold English climate, forcing staff to improvise heating systems, diets, and enclosures.

Although Charman foregrounds human actors, the animals themselves play an equally memorable role. Early zoo inhabitants quickly became public sensations, drawing enormous crowds eager to see species that had never before been displayed in Britain. One of the most famous examples was the hippopotamus Obaysch, whose arrival sparked what contemporaries described as ‘hippomania’. Transported from Egypt in specially adapted condition, including a large iron bathtub and a herd of cows to supply milk, the animal caused a national sensation upon reaching London. Other animals (chimpanzees, elephants, orangutans) became minor celebrities in their own right. Stories of their behaviour, personalities, and tragic deaths populate the book. These anecdotes highlight both the fascination Victorians had with animals and the ethical ambiguities of early zoos. In one memorable episode recounted in the book, a young chimpanzee named Tommy captivated visitors who were struck by his human-like behaviour. Such encounters helped shape evolving ideas about animal intelligence and humanity’s relationship to other species.

One of the book’s most important contributions is its portrayal of the zoo as a scientific laboratory. In the early nineteenth century, zoology was still an emerging discipline, and the availability of live animals offered unprecedented opportunities for study. Figures like Darwin visited the zoo to observe behaviour and anatomy, treating the institution as an extension of the natural world within an urban setting. This aspect of the book will resonate strongly with readers interested in the history of zoology. The zoo allowed scientists to examine living specimens rather than relying solely on preserved skins or skeletal remains. Observations made in such settings contributed to broader debates about evolution, classification, and animal cognition. Yet Charman does not romanticize this scientific enterprise. She describes how animals that died were quickly dissected and preserved for study, reflecting the utilitarian mindset of Victorian science. The result is a nuanced portrayal of the zoo as both a centre of knowledge production and a product of its historical context.

Beyond its colourful anecdotes, The Zoo sheds light on a major turning point in the history of animal collections. Prior to the nineteenth century, most European collections were aristocratic menageries, private displays of exotic animals meant to demonstrate wealth and power. The institution founded in London represented something different: a scientific zoo dedicated to research and classification. Although the zoo later opened to the public and became a major attraction, its initial purpose was scholarly. This transition, from private menagerie to public scientific institution, was a crucial step in the development of modern zoos. Charman illustrates how the London experiment influenced similar institutions around the world. The idea that a zoo could serve as a centre of research, education, and public engagement gradually spread across Europe and beyond.

The Zoo: The Wild and Wonderful Tale of the Founding of London Zoo is an engaging and accessible exploration of one of the most important episodes in the history of zoological institutions. Through a blend of archival research and narrative storytelling, Isobel Charman brings to life the scientists, keepers, architects, and animals who shaped the early decades of the London Zoological Gardens. For readers interested in the origins of modern zoos, the book offers a fascinating window into a time when the idea of keeping wild animals for scientific study was still experimental. It reveals how curiosity, ambition, and imperial networks combined to create an institution that would become one of the most famous zoos in the world. While its novelistic style may not satisfy every historian, the book succeeds in making the history of zoos vivid and memorable. For zoo enthusiasts, historians of science, and anyone curious about the intersection of animals and Victorian culture, Charman’s work is both informative and highly enjoyable, a reminder that the modern zoo emerged from a complex and often surprising past. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a fond fascination with Victorian science or ZSL London Zoo. It is a very enjoyable read and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

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