Raised by the Zoo

A lively memoir of growing up in the Dublin Zoo.

People have been enchanted by elephants for centuries. For Gerry Creighton, this fascination began at an early age; his father was a keeper at Dublin Zoo and instilled in him a love and respect for animals. Gerry followed his father and joined the zoo at 15, where he would spend the next 36 years observing, studying and caring for elephants.

Raised by the Zoo tells the story of Gerry’s life in service to the many animals at Dublin Zoo - a place that holds fond memories for every family across Ireland. Filled with a lively cast of the zoo’s inhabitants, including Lucy the Chimp and Upali the Elephant, it captures a pivotal period in Dublin Zoo’s history and underscores the importance of environmental conservation efforts around the world.