It is very easy for us to assume that because you shoot animals in zoos that they are boring, or not authentic wildlife photography. I understand this logic, but over the past year I have spent some time at the Denver Zoo and grown so much in understanding, appreciation and adoration of wildlife. These aren't domesticated animals. There is also considerable research showing these animals don't really comprehend captivity as we know it, but adapt to their surroundings and simply accept the new boundaries as their own. I have seen a male lion call to his cubs and lionesses as the sun falls, with such a guttural roar it makes your hair stand up. He does this very same act on the African plain.
Do zoos make it easier for us to photograph these exotic animals? Of course. But do we benefit and grow in understanding because of these zoos? I believe so. We offer protection and food for these sometimes endangered, sometimes injured creatures, and in return they can share a bit about their life. So I firmly believe that animals within the confines of zoos, are wildlife, and should be considered wildlife in all arenas, and that includes our own.
And here is a remarkable story that can attest to the "wild" in wildlife, even inside these very zoos.
Bear eats Monkey in Zoo
|
