We Bought A Zoo - Benjamin Mee

'Chuck it all in and buy a zoo? Why not?' Thought Benjamin Mee, unaware of the grim living conditions, creditors and escaped big cat that lay in wait! A few years ago, Ben and his wife, Katherine, sold their small flat in Primrose Hill and moved to France to pursue their dream of restoring an old barn near Nimes. That dream then became much, much bigger for, last October, they moved with their two young children, Ben's 76-year-old mother and his brother, into a dilapidated zoo on the edge of Dartmoor which they had bought, and found themselves responsible for 200 animals including four huge tigers, lions, pumas, three massive bears, a tapir and a wolf pack. Ben found himself juggling the complexities of managing the zoo and getting it ready for re-opening, and at the same time having to care for his rapidly deteriorating wife, their two young children, and their ever growing menagerie of animals.


I saw this on a charity shop shelf and thought it was interesting (before i had heard it was a tv program and now a film). It was interesting and it only took me an evening to get through.  The story itself starts off slowly, but once he gets into the swing of the zoo it picks up pace. With all the events he described you can hardly believe its true, all the adventures and dramas he goes through.

The writing style keeps you gripped through out, and it was a book i could not put down. The escapes of some of the animals you can barely believe happened.  Plus with the inquisitive nature its interesting to see how a zoo is run, some of the inside stories, and obviously the animals are heart warming.

This is a great book to read, both fun and interesting.  In some areas its also a bit sad, but Mee puts a positive spin on these.  You can tell he's a positive person and even when the worst happens he manages to see the funny side, or look on the bright side.  A heartwarming must read if only for the interesting story and the animals.