Animal People

When the Nazi director of Berlin zoo flees ahead of the advancing Soviet army, Katharina Heinroth steps forward to take the reins.

Facing mounting debts, hungry Berliners breaking into the grounds in search for animals to eat, and a hostile board intent on replacing her… Katharina fights to keep the zoo alive.

This is the unbelievable, true story of Germany’s first female zoo director.

A Multi Series Project…

Power, politics, hippos… it’s all there. Series one covers Katharina’s stint as director. In series two, the story crosses a divided Berlin to the new zoo in the East, where political fault lines and economic hardship fuel fierce competition.