Whether zoos should exist or not is a complicated argument. Holding animals captive for the entertainment of humans seems completely wrong, yet zoos do foster appreciation for animals and educate the public. On a recent trip to the San Francisco Zoo, I had a chance to see for myself. For the most part, I was impressed by the enriched habitats for the animals and the obvious level of care. Only the Polar bear seemed lonely and bored. It’s probably a mistake to project human emotions onto animals, but that was my impression. Most of the animals seemed to be engaged and interacted with each other and their environment. As a photographer, I wanted to see if I could apply portrait skills to the animals there. That is, I wanted to concentrate on the eyes, fill the frame where possible, and capture some of the essence of the animal. Over the next few weeks I’ll post some of my results. The first shot is of the zoo’s baby giraffe interacting with a Yellow-Backed Duiker.
Tags: Animals, Mammals, Reticulated Giraffe, San Francisco Zoo, Yellow-Backed Duiker, Zoo