In a sense, the lions are institutionalized. The pride soon discovers that outside the safety of the zoo's walls, they are no longer in a position of power. Naturally, status is often determined by power, making the lions kings of the zoo. Each wants to protect their own and better themselves. The zoo has its own social system, with the different species akin to different cultures or races. Then there is Safa, an old lioness who appreciates the safety of the zoo and believes freedom comes with too high a price to personal safety. She's inquisitive and impulsive, as any child would be in a wondrous new world such as the one found outside the zoo. She believes freedom from a cage is all that's needed to find true happiness. Noor is Zill's current mate, who schemes of ways to escape the zoo even before the bombing. Zill, the male lion, has grown comfortable and fat in his zoo cage, but he dreams of one day seeing the horizon again. Vaughan takes a cue from George Orwell, gifting the animals of the zoo with personalities, backstories and the ability to speak.
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