Summary

Chapter 8: Lutz Heck took over the Berlin Zoo from his father. Shortly after taking over the zoo, Heck joined the Nazi party. Lutz wanted to bring back three extinct species of animals, the forest tarpan, aurochsen, and European bison, all of which had been native to Poland. Heck’s passion for pure bloodlines was shared by the Nazis who wanted to create a “pure” human race. They believed that “mutations in human beings were as destructive as those in domestic animals” (83). Nazism had its roots in occultism where cultists believed in Aryan men who were god-like. Toward the goal of creating a race of pure Aryans, Nazis felt that it was necessary to eliminate all races they considered inferior.

Chapter 9: The sounds of morning in the zoo were now mostly non-existent. The windows were covered according to the rules of the blackout, so...