Stories from inside Dublin Zoo in Ireland, where producer Colette Kinsella lives with her partner, zoo director Leo Oosterweghel.

 

Death, wherever it happens, is complicated. When a zoo animal dies, people often think it’s fed to the carnivores. However, a dead animal is very valuable as an educational tool, and Leo sometimes displays specimens in the zoo’s little museum, the Learning & Discovery Centre.

But what about the keepers who might have cared for this animal for a decade or more? What happens to that strong bond when an animal dies? And how does it feel when you see the skull of a beloved animal displayed in public?

 

In this episode of Zoo Diaries, Leo prepares a specimen for educational purposes and we find out how animals – both human and non-human animals – grieve.

 

First broadcast on Radiotonic on ABC RN, Australia.