Tag: #zoo

Why do I love the lion?

Maybe I fell for this beautiful lion because her behavior reminded me of my dog.

#1. I could look at this face all day.

#2. Licking her paw and yawning, that’s my dog.

#3. I can’t get close to this dangerous African animal, but I CAN look at her all day with these photographs I made with my Nikon D800 and Tamron 150-600mm lens, at 600mm held steady with a monopod.

#lion, #yawn, #sandiego, #safaripark, #paw, #behavior, #eyecontact, #teeth
Transvaal lion just chillin’ in the shade at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Gotta love that face, and respect those canine teeth.

Lions in San Diego?

Both the San Diego Zoo in the city and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 30 miles northeast in the San Pasqual Valley, are exciting places to visit. The habitats for more than 2600 African and Asian animals are enormous at the 1800 acre Safari Park. You can plan ahead and book a variety of safaris, or just spend the day wandering around.

I particularly enjoyed the 6 female Transvaal lions, named for their original home in southern Africa. These lions have a shoulder height from between 3 to 4 feet, and weigh 250-400 pounds. They are powerful and beautiful animals.

#lion, #lioness, #transvaal, #sandiego, #safaripark, #zoo, #sandiegozoo, #thingstodo, #animallover
This Transvaal lion at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park keeps a watchful eye on her peers.

Finding Africa close to home

Some homework assignments are more fun than others. Learning to use my new 600 mm lens called for a trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo. I have wanted to “get closer” to wildlife in Florida while photographing birds and alligators. And I definitely want to be ready for puffins I will see in Iceland in July. I know I will get the best results from practice.

Mounted on a sturdy monopod and attached to my Nikon D800, my new lens focused on the African lion and tiger today, and brought home these images for you.

#pittsbughzoo, #zoo, #tiger, #wildlife. #lens, #600mmlens, #nikond800
This images shows the tiger’s markings.
#lion, #zoo, #Pittsburghzoo, #600mmlens, #nikond800, #nature, #wildlife
Sleeping male lion. Peaceful.