Salvage Hunters Season 9 Episode 12 Edinburgh Zoo
- January 1, 1970
- 44 min
Salvage Hunters is a British reality TV show that revolves around Drew Pritchard, a salvage expert, and his travels across the UK and Europe in search of unique and rare architectural salvage pieces. In season 9, episode 12, titled Edinburgh Zoo, Drew visits Scotland's capital to pick up some unusual treasures.
In this episode, Drew teams up with his trusted sidekick Tee to discover hidden gems in one of the UK's most sought-after destinations for antique and salvage items - Edinburgh Zoo. The team is hoping to find some rare marine and tropical wildlife specimens and anything else they can find that is unique and of historical significance.
Drew and Tee meet with Brian, the head of Edinburgh Zoo, who takes them on a tour of some of the zoo's fascinating exhibits. Brian then reveals that the zoo has a treasure trove of artefacts, and Drew jumps at the chance to see what they have. As they explore the zoo, they come across a giant sea turtle that has been in the zoo since the 1930s. Drew and Tee learn that the sea turtle was given to the zoo as a gift from the Royal Navy after the turtle was rescued from a beach in Gibraltar. The team is amazed by the story behind the turtle and gets excited at the prospect of acquiring it for their collection.
The next item that catches Drew's eye is a sculpture of a polar bear. The sculpture is said to be over 100 years old and was made by the renowned sculptor, Sir Edwin Landseer. It is believed that he created the sculpture as a tribute to a polar bear named Knut, who was a sensation when he was exhibited in London in the 1800s. Drew knows that the sculpture has a great historical significance and tries his best to get it for his collection.
Drew and Tee also get the chance to visit the zoo's penguin enclosure, where they meet one of the zoo's star attractions - a king penguin named Sir Nils Olav. The penguin has been knighted by the Norwegian King's Guard and has been the mascot of the guard since 1972. Drew is fascinated by the story of the penguin and is keen to acquire anything related to him.
Aside from animals and sculptures, Drew and Tee also discover a collection of rare maps and illustrations of the zoo. They learn that the maps date back to the 1800s and were created by a famous Scottish cartographer named John Bartholomew. The maps show the layout of the zoo in its early days, and Drew is impressed by the level of detail and artistry behind them.
Throughout the episode, Drew and Tee face several challenges as they negotiate with the zoo staff and try to acquire the items they desire. They encounter difficulties when trying to secure some of the more valuable items and are forced to use their expertise to find ways to convince the zoo staff to part with them.
In the end, Drew and Tee leave Edinburgh Zoo with several new treasures, including the sea turtle, the polar bear sculpture, and a selection of historical maps and illustrations. As they drive away, they reflect on the success of their trip and discuss plans for their next adventure.
Overall, Salvage Hunters' season 9 episode 12, Edinburgh Zoo, is an engaging and educational episode that showcases the diverse range of unique and valuable items that can be found in unexpected places. The episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in salvage and architectural history and provides an insight into the challenging negotiation process of acquiring valuable and rare historical objects.