Zoo Animals shares some similarities with the novel by George Orwell Animal Farm  -a group of animals speaking out their concerns-. However, the setting and the animals´ worries are others.

Synopsis: A group of conservation volunteers visit a zoo to interview some animals in order to know about their welfare. Their aim is writing a newspaper article denouncing zoo  animals´ life conditions. They are much sure about all animals claiming for wilderness life and freedom.

They interview, one after another, four animals: a lion, an eagle, a dolphin and an elephant; as representatives of the big meat eater, the air, the water, and the plant eater animals.

After the animals being interviewed, the conservationists discuss on their notes and reach the agreement of not reporting on some of the answers given by some of the animals, as they sound “unnatural” for wild animals.

Three days later the article is printed on newspapers.

Characters: Four conservationists –two boys and two girls, Mr Brown –the zoo manager, King –the lion, Feathers –the eagle, Flipper –the dolphin, Trunk –the elephant, visitors to the zoo (optional), and a man at a bar.

Character Objectives:

Zoo manager: a man in his late sixties. He is about to retire. He knows that opposing conservationists´ visit to the zoo can cause him troubles.

Conservationists: four youngsters – between 22 and 24 years old-, enthusiastic, inexperienced. Their names are not relevant as they work like a group and not like individuals.

Lion: lazy, boastful.  Its mane rather untidy. It wants the interview to finish soon to go back to sleep. It claims for freedom  but  it enjoys its easy life. It feels happy it hasn´t have to kill for eating.

Eagle: proud, always alert, doesn´t  stop jumping on its peg and moving its eyes around. It confesses it is planning to escape from the zoo. It hates being in a cage.

Dolphin: playful, gentle, wears a permanent smile. It makes the best of everyday life’s situation.  It is happy in its pool.

Elephant: huge, wise, long trunk and tusks, strong voice. It shows its content at being at the zoo.

Man at a bar: in his middle forties, wearing a suit . He is reading the day’s papers before entering work. 

Organisation:

The class is divided in groups of ten students  -matching the number of characters in the play. They read the script and decide,  by lot, the characters each one will have to play.

N.B. Students can be asked to rewrite the script by choosing other animals in the zoo , changing their answers and depicting their physical and character features by imitating their movements, sounds and behaviour or by thinking of possible props that help identify the different animals.

Scene Breakdown:

N.B. All through scenes 1 to 6 the different animals´ characteristic sounds can be heard.

Scene 1: At the zoo entrance.  The conservationists meet the zoo manager and shake hands with him.

Scene 2:  At the lion´s enclosed area.

Scene 3: At the eagle´s cage.

Scene 4: At the dolphin’s pool.

Scene 5: At the elephant’s enclosed area .

Scene 6: On a bench at the zoo. The four youngsters are showing each other´s notes and discussing on them. They mouth the words.

Scene 7: At a bar. A man drinking coffee and reading the morning´s papers. He holds up the newspaper and the front page can be seen. A big headline reads: ZOO ANIMALS CLAIM FOR BEING RELEASED.