The Story of a Daring Animal Rescue – ‘Checkpoint Zoo’ Doc Trailer

The Story of a Daring Animal Rescue – ‘Checkpoint Zoo’ Doc Trailer

by Alex Billington
July 11, 2025
Source: YouTube

“What do animals have to do with this war?” Nothing – they deserve better. Abramorama has unveiled an official trailer for a documentary film titled Checkpoint Zoo, the latest by award-winning doc filmmaker Joshua Zeman (also of The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52). The film premiered last year at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival and also played at tons of other film festivals, and will be released in theaters around the US starting this August. Checkpoint Zoo documents a daring rescue led by a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers who risked their lives to save thousands of animals trapped inside a zoo behind enemy lines during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. These brave people risk everything to save over 5000 animals from the Feldman Ecopark animal sanctuary in Kharkiv. Drawing from first-hand footage, Zeman’s doc film showcases a story of human compassion, bravery, and sacrifice during Ukraine’s darkest hours. shining a lightweight on the best of humanity when it is all too uncomplicated to focus on the worst. All of these people are real heroes.

Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Joshua Zeman’s doc Checkpoint Zoo, direct from YouTube:

In the early days of the Russian-Ukrainian war Kharkiv, the country’s second largest city, was turned into a warzone. Caught in between was a zoo called Feldman Ecopark. More than just a zoo, Feldman Ecopark was an animal sanctuary that offered countless therapy programs to everyone from soldiers with PTSD to children with special needs. As the war ravaged on, and the shelling increased, it was clear that the bravery of the staff wouldn’t be enough to save the animals trapped inside. With the aid of four newborn volunteers, these zookeepers would undertake a seemingly impossible mission – they would risk life & limb to evacuate over 5,000 animals, including scores of unsafe predators, and deliver them to safety. 🇺🇦 Checkpoint Zoo is directed by the award-winning doc producer / filmmaker Joshua Zeman, director of the doc films Cropsey, Killer Legends, The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52, and series “The Sons of Sam: A Descent into Darkness” previously. Produced by Zachary Mortensen, Joshua Zeman, Ian Davies, & Torquil Jones. This initially premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival last year. Abramorama will debut Zeman’s Checkpoint Zoo doc in select US theaters starting on August 15th, 2025 coming up soon. Want to watch?

Find more posts in: Documentaries, To Watch, Trailer