The Old Men at the Zoo
The Old Men at the Zoo is a dystopian novel by Angus Wilson, published in 1961. It is told from the viewpoint of an administrator at the London Zoo. The story looks at how people in power can compromise their morals and how fragile democracy can be in a crisis.
The plot follows events before and during a limited war that leads to a pan-European dictatorship. This regime imprisons anyone suspected of opposing it. Fanatical officials plan to use the zoo for public executions of political prisoners, echoing ancient Rome’s practice of Damnatio ad bestias (condemnation to beasts). Later, another change in government reverses the course of events.
The book was adapted into a 1983 BBC television series by Troy Kennedy Martin, with several changes, including the addition of nuclear bombing of London.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:06 (CET).