News

Horizon: Should We Close Our Zoos? - April 17th at 9pm on BBC2

Liz Bonnin presents a provocative episode of Horizon investigating how new scientific research is raising hard questions about zoos – the film explores how and why zoos keep animals, and ultimately whether they need to change to keep up with modern science, or ultimately be consigned to history. Zoos have tried to rebrand themselves as centres of research, conservation and education, but to what extent do they achieve these aims? With contemporary understanding about the complexity of animal behaviour, and the fact that most of us can see animals up close and in high definition in their natural environment on television, Horizon asks, in the 21st century, can we really justify keeping animals in zoos?

Liz on board for Big Blue Live

BBC press for Big Blue Live, click here.

Liz Bonnin and Steve Backshall will be co-presenting the exciting new three part live series Big Blue Live from the BBC’s Natural History Unit, co-produced by PBS.

Live from Monterey Bay, California they will be getting up close and personal to some amazing creatures. While Steve seeks out migrating whales and dolphins from a boat in the bay, Liz will delve into the science of how the journey of these animals takes place from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Animals In Love: Liz Bonnin discovers the feeling in nature

"We do animals a great disservice by not wanting to compare their capabilities, traits or emotions with ours.”

The Bonobo story is one of many that Bonnin explores in her impressive new series to press home her view that we seriously underestimate the intellectual prowess of animals. Their problem-solving skills – nuts cracked open with rocks, for instance – are well documented, but are animals in touch with their emotions as well? Bonnin believes they are in a way we’re reluctant to acknowledge.

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