The Star Zoo

By Harry Gilbert
Author’s Biography

Harry Gilbert was born in Canada in 1946 and came to England when he
was a baby. After university, he travelled in many parts of the world,
doing various jobs, including teaching English as a foreign Language.
He is married, with one daughter, and now lives and teaches in London.
As well as (The Star Zoo), he has written (The year of sharing) at stage 2
for the Oxford Bookworms Library, and he has also written several
books for English children. Harry Gilbert fell in love with science fiction
when he was eleven years old, and spent the next five years reading
every science-fiction story he could find, and also writing his own
stories. He says that getting ideas for stories is hard work. The ideas for
(The Years of Sharing) and (The Star Zoo) came to him while he was
watching during their examination.

Setting of the story

The setting of the story "The Star Zoo" is primarily in an interstellar

spaceship, which is transporting a variety of exotic and rare species of
animals from different planets to Earth. The spaceship is described as
being vast and luxurious, with a state-of-the-art animal facility complete
with artificial environments that simulate the natural habitats of each
creature.

Travels through deep space, making stops at various planets along the
way to collect additional specimens for the Star Zoo on Earth. Each
planet visited is described with vivid and imaginative detail, showcasing
its unique and alien landscapes and creatures.

Overall, the setting of "The Star Zoo" is a blend of science fiction and
fantasy elements, with a focus on exploring the wonders and mysteries
of the universe through the lens of humanity's fascination with exotic
animals.

The Main Themes

The theme of “The Star Zoo” is about the dangers of exploiting and
owning animals for human entertainment. The story explores the
consequences of capturing and displaying animals for profit and
entertainment. It highlights the pain and suffering that is inflicted when
creatures are taken from their natural habitats and placed in captivity.
The story also portrays a message of empathy and responsibility towards
animals and their habitats.

Another underlying theme is the idea of responsibility and acceptance of

consequences. The scientist who captures the creature is forced to accept
the consequences of his actions and the moral implications of owning
such a magnificent creature. The story also emphasizes the importance
of respect for other cultures and ways of life.

Overall, "The Star Zoo" is a cautionary tale about the ethics of animal
captivity and the potential harm we can cause to ourselves and other
beings by exploiting them for our own entertainment or curiosity.

Summary

On Remembering Night Buff ask Hummy to marry him. Hummy don’t

want it, but if a boy ask a girl to marry him at Remembering Night she
must marry him. When at the marriage Buff says ‘Yes, I will’ Hummy
fled. She fled with her spaceship to the galaxy. There she met the Star
Zoo. There are animals from the earth. She is going crazy. When she is
normal she likes the animals. She sees a door. She opens the door and
there’s much light. The animals are thinking there is a god. But Hummy
goes in and she sees a computer. She talks with the computer and tells
about her planet. On her planet there are no animals. She goes back to
her planet and tells her parents about the Star Zoo. But they don’t
believe her. Then Buff comes up to her and wants to marry her again.
She tells him about the Star Zoo, but he doesn’t believe it either. She
says ‘I will show you the Star Zoo and if it is a fable then I will marry
you for five years.’ Buff goes along with Hummy to the Star Zoo and he
is going crazy when he sees the animals. But he did not get normal.
Hummy goes to the computer. The computer said that her robot must
make a animal robot. The robot makes a animal robot and Hummy, Buff
and the robot go away. They land not at another planet. Hummy shows
the animal robot and a man breaks with a laser gun. All the people are
going crazy. Besides the old president, who was not there when Hummy
show the animal robot. As a punishment she must take care of the
children of the people who are crazy. A robot always makes two
duplicates of something he makes. Hummy shows the animal robot to
the children and the children aren’t going crazy. They play with the
animal robot. The president decided that each house must have a
chamber with an animal robot for the children. And the president gives
permission to Hummy to go to her own planet.

Moral in the story

The moral of the story "The Star Zoo" is the importance of respecting
and preserving the natural environment. The story shows how the human
desire to exploit natural resources can have negative consequences on
the environment and species. In the story, humans capture and transport
a variety of rare and exotic animals from planets and stars, cramming
them into small cages and tanks in a zoo to display for profit. However,
the animals soon become sick and die because they cannot survive in
this artificial environment.
The author is warning us against focusing too much on human wants and
desires at the expense of the natural world. The story implies that
humanity has a responsibility to protect the natural environment and not
to exploit it for our own gain. Overall, the moral is that we should treat
the environment and other species with respect and care, so as to avoid
negative consequences for ourselves and the whole planet.