Rescuing Zoo Animals in the Ukraine War: A Conversation with Checkpoint Zoo director Joshua Zeman

SOUNDS with Tom Needham

On this episode of The SOUNDS Podcast with Tom Needham, acclaimed director Joshua Zeman discusses his powerful new documentary, “Checkpoint Zoo.” The film, a featured selection at the Port Jefferson Documentary Series and the Hamptons International Film Festival, tells the harrowing story of the rescue of animals trapped in Kharkiv’s Feldman Ecopark during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Zeman takes listeners behind the scenes of this intense project, sharing how he and his crew navigated the dangers of filming in an active war zone while capturing the incredible efforts of zookeepers and volunteers risking their lives to save animals under artillery fire.

“Checkpoint Zoo” was honored at the Hamptons International Film Festival with the prestigious “Zelda Penzel Award,” which recognizes films that raise public awareness and provoke discussion about the moral and ethical treatment of animals. In this interview, Zeman reflects on the emotional and ethical challenges of documenting the intersection of war and wildlife, the deep bond between the animals and their caretakers, and the broader environmental consequences of armed conflict. This episode provides an in-depth look at a film that sheds light on the untold victims of war—the innocent animals caught in the crossfire.