Images from the Id – To the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo how about you?

The next stop was the San Diego Zoo and its world famous collections. Zoos cause mixed feelings for me  Seeing confined species after species in conditions which, in most cases, are far from their natural environment. I majored in Zoology, which should be pronounced differently and really has nothing to do with confining animals. Now, I understand the important part the zoo is playing in the preservation of species and the growth of human affection and positive attitudes toward animals. I think it doesn’t help some of the animals that need it the most. Bats, snakes and others don’t get the press of a cute baby Giraffe. Well, I have this buddy who’s taking a trip to Tanzania next April (actually 2 trips) and it’s only $10,000. Let’s see for my wife and maybe a new mortgage would work? Ha, not in this life. The kicker is I have other friends who will go with him and he will have no problem filling in the trips. For the rest of us, there are zoos. We won’t get the natural environment or natural behavior but we have our imagination. When I was younger I loved zoos because I was and still am fascinated by animals especial the strange, weird or rare. I will never see a Tuatara (look it up) in wild New Zealand but I have seen several in a conservation site in Invercargill, Southland NZ. Where can you see Great Pandas? (More on that later) I am in my glory in the Reptile House. A positive note: most larger zoos are converting to more natural habitats which are better for the animals and photographers

Zoo photography starts with the right zoo and all zoos are not create equal in the eyes of the photographer. Of the four zoos I have photographed I would, in terms of photographing, rank the Albuquerque Zoo first. It is a comparatively new zoo and most is accessible without a lot of wire screens or bars. They do need to re-think how the  in zoo transportation runs. It is located in a Bio-Park with the Aquarium and Botanical Gardens which are both great photography. Atlanta comes in second for the accessibility to the Great Pandas and red elephants (from the Georgia clay). San Diego is third because of the inaccessibility of the Great Pandas, the miles of climbing the terrain and a lot of it is still the old style cages. A good point for SD is the easy to “shoot” Koalas and a decent and photo-friendly Reptile House (not great but better than other zoos-more light). Last is my home town Denver. Every time they do something they get more wire or netting. It can be frustrating. They have a new Africa area and it’s not very natural or photogenic. I forgot The St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park. It is a whole different category. No wire or nets around the main attractions , alligators and in the spring the totally natural rookery is fantastic for the Roseate Spoonbills and other large Florida birds.

Featured Image: Giant Panda Atlanta Zoo 1/320 sec; f/9.0; 200 mm/300 mm; ISO 800; EV 0  Atlanta is the best place (outside of China?) to photograph Giant PandaNext week Shooting the zoo and making the best of the situation

The rare Mangabey San Diego Zoo; 1/180 sec.; f/5.6; EV0, ISO 800; 400 mm/600mm Of interest  because of its being rare which is a strength of San Diego.