Wide citrus-soaked gardens, pouches of pumpkin seeds sold off by the parcel, and a lingering chirp of laughter: the Giza Zoo at its prime was a vision of nature trapped in concrete modernity – brimming with the rare and endemic, open-expanse enclosures and endangered fauna. It was one of the few green areas in Cairo, covering upwards of 80 acres, making it the largest zoological garden in the Middle East and oldest in Africa. It was brought into being by none other than the notorious, Euro-enamored Khedive Ismail in the late 19th century. Initially part of the harem gardens, it featured a variety of exotic plants imported from India, Africa, and South America; a banyan tree planted in 1871 can still be seen in its mature glory to this day. It seemed like a reconstruction of Eden: 20,000 individual animals, 400 species, and an array of animals never before seen to the local public. By the late 1870s, it was considered a “natural history museum” that encompassed “spacious European standards.” Its attendance was testament to its novelty: by the end of the Second World War, the zoo was considered one…
