Our Zoo cover art

Our Zoo

 Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Our Zoo

By: June Mottershead
Narrated by: Emily Pennant-Rea
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

 When George Mottershead moved to the village of Upton-by-Chester in 1930 to realise his dream of opening a zoo without bars, his four-year-old daughter June had no idea how extraordinary her life would become. Soon her best friend was a chimpanzee called Mary, lion cubs and parrots were vying for her attention in the kitchen, and finding a bear tucked up in bed was no more unusual than talking to a tapir about granny's lemon curd. Pelican, penguin or polar bear - for June, they were simply family.

The early years were not without their obstacles for the Mottersheads. They were shunned by the local community, bankruptcy threatened and then World War Two began. Nightly bombing raids turned the dream into a nightmare and finding food for the animals became a constant challenge. Yet George's resilience, resourcefulness and tenacity eventually paid off. Now over 80 years since June first set foot in the echoing house, Chester Zoo has achieved worldwide renown.

Here, in her enthralling memoir, June Mottershead chronicles the heartbreak, the humour, the trials and triumphs, above all the characters, both human and animal, who shaped her childhood.
(P)2014 Headline Digital©2014 June Mottershead Animals Biological Sciences Outdoors & Nature Science Heartfelt

Listeners also enjoyed...

 An Armful of Babies and a Cup of Tea cover art
A Zoo in My Luggage cover art
Australian Farming Families cover art
The Dogs of Avalon cover art
A Cheetah's Tale cover art
I Wish I Could Say I Was Sorry cover art
Return to Akenfield cover art
My Life with the Chimpanzees cover art
The Yorkshire Shepherdess cover art
Nigel cover art
My Good Life in France cover art
Don't Forget to Write cover art
Blue Skies & Black Olives cover art
21st Century Yokel cover art
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness cover art
À La Mod cover art
All stars
Most relevant
an insight into unusual 20th century entrepreneurship hard work dedication and a happy ending perfect

another era

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Where does Our Zoo rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

A great true story. Really hope June will give us all another installment of her families adventures building a collection without bars.

What other book might you compare Our Zoo to, and why?

Our Zoo, is gripping and funny like the best James Herriot and Gerald Durrel stories. If you enjoyed My Family and Other Animals and Every Living Thing, I'm sure you'll love our zoo.

What does Emily Pennant-Rea bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Emily brings a real warmth to the story. Look forward to listening to more books read by Emily.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Chaos in the country

Any additional comments?

An around great listen. 5 Stars. Hoping for a second installment "our zoo two"

Truly Macical

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Amazing story, made me cry twice with the dogs story and Christie the lion cub!

Would defo recommend to any reader young or old, and I'm 37 !

Amazing better than the TV show

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
really enjoyed it and all the little stories about the animals and how the zoo developed.

loved it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Such an inspiring story, I would have loved to have heard more. You get a real insight into building a successful business in such testing times.

A must read for any animal lover

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews