The Zookeeper

The Zookeeper

Year: 2001

Runtime: 108 mins

Language: English

Director: Ralph Ziman

WarDrama

Jonah Ludovic, a custodian at a modest municipal zoo, returns after a night of heavy shelling to find the staff have fled. Determined to protect the animals, he teams up with an aging guard and a veterinarian, forming a skeletal crew that works tirelessly to care for the creatures until an international zoological rescue mission can arrive.

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Timeline & Setting – The Zookeeper (2001)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Zookeeper (2001). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Village, Capital City, Zoo

The narrative shifts from a besieged village to the capital, where a zoo becomes a fragile sanctuary amid shelling and checkpoints. The zoo stands as a rare haven for both humans and animals, anchoring relationships and survival in a collapsing world.

🗺️ Village 🏙️ Capital City 🐾 Zoo

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:07

Main Characters – The Zookeeper (2001)

Meet the key characters of The Zookeeper (2001), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Ludovic (Sam Neill)

A former Interior Ministry official and Communist party member who now works at a zoo. He becomes a caretaker for the animals and forms a bond with Luisa the Capuchin monkey. He faces moral tests in the siege, mentors Zioig, and asserts that grown men can still cry, guiding others toward humanity amid chaos.

💼 Compassionate 🧭 Moral 🧑‍🏫 Fatherly

Dragov (Ulrich Thomsen)

Militia leader enforcing the siege at the capital. He justifies brutality through racial prejudice and uses intimidation to control people and animals. He confronts Ludovic, arrests the Vet, and later seeks to seize the zoo’s animals for food.

🔪 Cruel 🗺️ Authoritarian

The Vet (Om Puri)

An Indian veterinarian who helps Ludovic care for the zoo’s animals. He embodies care and practical wisdom, telling Ludovic that good men do the right thing in bad times. He is ultimately killed by Dragov’s forces.

🩺 Caregiver 💔 Martyr 🕊️ Loyal

Ankica (Gina McKee)

Zioig’s mother and a prison camp survivor who recounts her traumatic experiences. She seeks safety for her son and forms a fragile bond with Ludovic before being killed by a sniper.

👩 Mother 🕰️ Survivor 💔 Traumatic past

Zioig (Javor Loznica)

A ten-year-old orphan separated from his mother. He shows resourcefulness and resilience, steals supplies, and experiences both anger and longing. He eventually seeks protection from Ludovic and participates in the family’s fragile survival.

🧒 Orphan 🐾 Survivor 🗺️ Resourceful

Slavko (Serdjan Simeonović)

A militiaman serving Dragov who participates in the occupation of the zoo and is killed during the escalating violence.

🧑 Militiaman 💥 Antagonist

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:07

Major Themes – The Zookeeper (2001)

Explore the central themes of The Zookeeper (2001), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕊️ Compassion

In the face of war, mercy becomes a form of resistance. Ludovic and the Vet choose to care for the animals and shelter vulnerable people, turning the zoo into a refuge. Ludovic’s mentoring of Zioig and his bond with Luisa the Capuchin highlight how kindness persists even when society collapses. The film presents compassion as a practical, lifesaving act.

🛡️ Duty

The characters confront moral tests that pit safety against helping others. Dragov’s brutality and the Vet’s arrest reveal how power zones fear and exclusion. Ludovic must decide whether to risk his own safety to protect the vulnerable, ultimately choosing to shield Ankica and Zioig. This struggle underlines the persistence of duty in crisis.

💔 Loss

The siege brings brutal losses: the Vet is killed, Ankica dies at the hands of a sniper, and the zoo’s monkeys perish in bombardment. Zioig’s grief and anger surface as the world backslides into violence. The final burial of Ankica and departure with the wolf cub frame grief as a communal, healing act.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:07

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The Zookeeper Summary

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The Zookeeper Summary

The Zookeeper Timeline

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The Zookeeper Timeline

The Zookeeper Spoiler-Free Summary

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The Zookeeper Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Zookeeper

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