Belly Up

The novel’s central message explores the conflict between environmental ethics and greed, exemplified by the desires of the zookeepers and the zoo owner. The protagonist’s family and FunJungle’s founding ethos prioritize animals’ well-being. Mr. Fitzroy is a globe-trotting wildlife photographer, and Mrs. Fitzroy is a field biologist who has “won all sorts of awards from conservation organizations” for her work with gorillas (57). Teddy’s parents instill a deep love and respect for the environment in him. Although the transition from field research to working at a zoo may seem like a departure for the Fitzroys, zoos have strong ties to conservation efforts. As Teddy observes in Chapter 5, “Zoos have prevented plenty of animals from going extinct—and Mom always says there wouldn’t even be a conservation movement without them” (74). FunJungle is especially appealing to the Fitzroys because the park aims to be a top of the line research facility as well as a zoo. To that end, McCracken instructs his employees to “recruit the best of the best” (58), and he allows these top animal scientists to design the enclosures so they are as close to the animals’ natural habitats as possible.