British Pathe

Chessington Zoo, Chessington, Surrey.

M/S of a group of penguins walking towards the camera. Low angle shot of a giraffe's head. High angle shot of a polar bear in an enclosure. Narrator speaks of how animals can be "as temperamental as children." A camel looks a little aloof and turns his...

Chessington Zoo, Chessington, Surrey.

M/S of a group of penguins walking towards the camera. Low angle shot of a giraffe's head. High angle shot of a polar bear in an enclosure. Narrator speaks of how animals can be "as temperamental as children." A camel looks a little aloof and turns his head away from the camera, sulking. Another shot of penguins. M/S of a zoo keeper holding a tin labelled "Halibut Oil". Narrator asks the rhetorical question: "Who does like a daily dose of medicine?" as we see a shot of an angry looking bull. M/S of two keepers preparing a fish to give to a penguin. The fish is sliced open and a pill is placed inside. The fish is thrown into the pool. M/S of the two men sitting on benches. Rosie the monkey is fed with some medicine.

William the five year old lion is seen in his cage. C/U of a big slab of meat which has oil poured over it. The meat is put into his cage on the end of a long pole. William doesn't look too happy. The vet is identified as "research chemist" Doctor F.S. Ward. He is the man that has developed the process of extracting oil from halibut liver. Although not a qualified vet he devotes much of his time caring for animals. I guess he is a kind of "alternative medicine" practitioner for animals. M/S of him rubbing some oil into a camel's neck. C/U of Doctor Ward then C/U of him mixing a spoonful of revolting looking Halibut Oil into a bucket of an animal feed. L/S of an elephant being led towards the bucket of food. Narrator tries to persuade us that Halibut Oil is not unpleasant. The elephant picks up some of the food and throws it around - some of it lands on the keeper. Ends with C/U of elephant "whoever heard of vitamins for elephants?" asks the narrator.

Note: man assisting Dr Ward is Ernest Engler. Dr Ward works for Crookes Laboratories. In cameraman's notes there is a line stating: "Don't give the impression that the animals are sick, the idea is that 'prevention is better than cure." The elephant is Barbara, the camel is Sheena - both seen recently in CP 020 - Pictorial from previous week.