The Huedin Zoo: How Romania Kept Its Communist Menagerie

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the strange survival of the Huedin Zoo, a small menagerie in Transylvania that operated continuously from the 1950s through the Ceaușescu era and into the present day. They trace its founding by a local veterinarian during the early communist period, the unusual species it housed—including bears, wolves, and a famous brown bear named Bălănel—and how it became a symbol of local pride despite chronic underfunding. The conversation touches on the broader context of zoos in communist Romania, the role of the Securitate in monitoring the zoo's staff, and the controversies surrounding animal welfare in the post-1989 transition. Along the way, they discuss the town of Huedin itself, a multi-ethnic community of Romanians, Hungarians, and Roma, and how the zoo reflected the complex social fabric of rural Transylvania. The episode ends with a reflection on what the zoo's persistence says about the relationship between ordinary people and the state in Romania's recent history.

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