Our Zoo

Frustrated by living with his wife and two daughters under his parents' roof and tormented by his war trauma, George decides to change his life and put a bit of beauty back into the world. When visiting the docks he spots an unwanted squirrel monkey and a camel about to be put down, so takes them home with him. He later comes across a run-down stately home surrounded by acres of land, and he formulates the idea of buying it and building around it the first British zoo without bars.

With the initial plans for the zoo drawn up, George turns his mind to growing the stock at Oakfield, which brings him face-to-face with two Himalayan black bears hiding out in a cave in Matlock. The male is extremely protective of the malnourished female and George - along with Lizzie's brother, Billy - is in a quandary about what to do. Meanwhile, Councillor Tipping of Chester Council receives a call from Webb. Now that they know what the Mottersheads are planning, the zoo must be stopped.

As the family nurse female bear, Eve, back to health, local residents' opposition to the zoo grows hostile. The zoo continues to expand beyond their means, forcing George to use all his charm to persuade a local journalist of its unique worth. But while George's proclamations fall on deaf ears, Billy brings home a surprise that could turn things around.

When Adam the bear escapes, George is badly injured in the process of retrieving him. Dr Ford treats his injuries, but June is disturbed to learn how close her father was to death. Needing money to secure the bears and with no help from the bank, George concocts a plan to organise a benefit at Selborne Hall to raise urgent funds.

The devastating news that planning permission for the zoo has been denied threatens to tear the family apart and destroy George's dream. However, Lady Katherine's connections in Whitehall give the family a lifeline. She and George embark on a trip to London to convince the Deputy Minister of Health to grant an appeal, while the family deal with a shocking new arrival at Oakfield.

The family’s last chance is to convince a visiting inspector from the Ministry of Health to overturn the council ban on a zoo at Oakfield. But when the nets of the aviary are slashed, George begins to lose his grip on the case - and his self-control. Lizzie is concerned he might throw their last chance away so reaches out for legal help, which comes at a cost. The high emotion of the hearing sees a hidden truth tumbling out for Reverend Webb, which helps tip the balance. An inspection of the zoo is held but the final decision could take weeks - can the family hang on and is there life after Oakfield?