Zoo Reclamation Helps Man Reclaim Life

Some people buy a car or a house, but England's Benjamin Mee bought a zoo.

Two years ago, Mee, a father of two and a devoted husband, not only became a changed man, but he also became a zookeeper.

CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey and Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith talked to Mee about the big purchase which, in essence, saved his life.

While looking to buy a bigger house for his young family on the Web, Mee came across a dilapidated zoo in the English countryside with over 200 exotic animals.

"We weren't looking to buy a zoo. It just came up," Mee admitted.

In the midst of tigers breaking loose and money running low, tragedy struck. Mee's wife, Katherine, experienced the recurrence of a brain tumor, which ultimately killed her three months after they bought the zoo and moved in.

While in mourning, Mee thought about giving up, but the healing power of the animals in the zoo gave him a different perspective.

"It's unfortunate, a very sad thing, but life goes on. And this is, of all places, is somewhere where you can appreciate that," Mee said.

The Mee family opened the gates of the Dartmoor Zoological Park in July 2007.

The zoo's main objective is not about making money, it's about keeping a dream alive in the memory of Mee's beloved wife.

Jaguars, Siberian tigers, lions and bears have a hefty price tag, which include a $20 million insurance policy - a cost that isn't easy to pay when you add in the grocery bills.

"You can survive. That's the thing. It's never going to make a lot of money and it's always going to absorb as much money as you've got," Mee said.

With the help of a local supermarket chain that donates vegetables that are past their sell-by date, Mee and his family make due.

Conservation and education are the main themes of the zoo, but Mee has to keep in mind they are still running a business.

"You have to smile and be nice to people and sell them chips and ice cream and stuff. Make sure they have a good day. And slip them in a conservation message or two when you can," he explained.

Ben's 7-year-old son, Milo is already an entrepreneur and gives tours on his specialty, toads and frogs.

As a tribute to his wife and to retell the story of their family bond and love for animals, Mee has written a book called "We Bought A Zoo: The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals That Changed Their Lives Forever."

The book captures how they brought the broken down zoo back to life and the 200 wild animals, who otherwise would have been put down, forever changed their lives.

"Thirty percent of them were impossible to be re-housed. That was the driving force. We thought we just got to do this," Mee said.

According to Mee, the introduction of his family into the zoo was great.

"I spent six months on the phone trying to negotiate this and saying to the kids, shh, daddy is trying to buy a zoo here. They were going, daddy, you're crazy. When we arrived their eyes were wide and daddy really did buy a zoo," Mee said.

At the end of the day, Mee's message to his visitors at the zoo who are curious about their story is "if you have a positive attitude, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to."

"Once you visit the site it's a lovely place and the animals are so inspiring," Mee explained. "I thought if we let that slip away we will regret it."