See the Keepers: Inside the Zoo

Shot at the Memphis Zoo, filmmakers Sara Kaye Larson and Joann Selvidge's eye-opening documentary takes viewers behind the scenes of zookeeping, focusing on some of the committed individuals who manage scores of tasks every day while taking care of wild animals. The bulk of the footage captures zookeepers making their rounds of feeding and cleaning up after every kind of critter, although it is clear that in many cases certain keepers have unique bonds with different species. One young gentleman has a close relationship with various wildcats, while the young penguins love to have only one particular woman pet them (they snap at others). Familiar scenes of zoo life include keepers giving short talks to crowds gathered at various exhibits, big cats pacing restlessly, and primates putting on a graceful display of athleticism. But as the title implies, more often it is the people who are being observed here, along with their habits and concerns. For the most part, the zoo employees appear to be happy, despite making less than $12 an hour, dealing with multiple safety protocols, worrying about the well-being of their charges, and experiencing the stress of watching animals die of various causes. The story of a giraffe named Kofi is returned to repeatedly: Kofi was set apart from other giraffes when he was endangered by a dominant male, and he has long refused to leave a tiny, penned-in space established for him. Although the film doesn't really probe the morality of zoos, Kofi's dilemma illustrates what is good and yet also ethically questionable about keeping animals in zoos. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)