Cameras were on hand to witness the extraordinary lives—and deaths—at the Feldman Ecopark, which suddenly found itself in the middle of a war.
Dodging Russian bullets and bombs, zookeepers and volunteers, who were risking their lives to save big cats, bears, apes and thousands of other creatures at a besieged Ukrainian zoo, captured hearts worldwide. The Feldman Ecopark in Kharkiv had been shelled relentlessly since the conflict began on Feb. 24, 2022. Throughout it all, a handful of fearless park staff stayed to care for the animals caught in the crossfire.
The compelling new documentary Checkpoint Zoo chronicles the extraordinary courage and compassion of a small group of men and women scrambling to evacuate 5,000 terrified and starving animals trapped in the zoo behind enemy lines.
Two years ago as the drama around Feldman Ecopark was unfolding, filmmaker Joshua Zeman had just finished filming The Loneliest Whale when he was captivated by the haunting image of a chimpanzee named Chichi walking alone around Freedom Square in Kharkiv. “Seeing this animal searching for his freedom or enjoying that freedom of escaping a zoo, while here you have this country that was under siege and fighting for its freedom and its own sovereignty immediately drew me,” he told The Daily Beast.
London-based author, journalist and activist, Britt Collins writes for the Guardian, the Observer, Sunday Times, Independent and Condé Nast Traveller. She wrote an international-bestselling non-fiction book Strays, A Lost Cat, a Homeless Man and their Journey Across America (Simon & Schuster).
This article was originally published on The Daily Beast and partially republished here, with permission.
