George Mottershead
George Mottershead, an ex-serviceman who fought in the Great War, has a dream - to build the first British zoo without bars. George's strong connection with animals is deeply seeded in his experiences recuperating from a war wound that had confined him to traction for two years. While troubled at times by the horrors he witnessed, George is a remarkable man; a visionary whose drive, determination, bravery and enormous love of animals make the impossible seem achievable.
About Lee Ingleby
Lee Ingleby’s career began in 1997 on the ITV Drama Soldier, Soldier. He landed his first major role in 2000 in the BBC mini-series Nature Boy alongside Paul McGann. Since then, Lee has starred as DS John Bacchus in the popular BBC drama Inspector George Gently, Jimmy McGovern’s The Street and Moving On, White Heat and ITV’s Place of Execution. He has also appeared on episodes of The Crimson Field, Luther, Quirke and Life on Mars.
His film credits include Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, Ever After, The Arbiter and Mr. Turner.

Explore Our Zoo
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"How do you build a zoo?"
Producer Marcus Wilson explains how Our Zoo was created
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Meet the human residents of Chester Zoo
Profiles of the cast of Our Zoo
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Meet the animals
From Chile to Chester: meet a selection of the animal stars of the show












