I wanna love him, and hug him, and squeeze him

But not us, George, because I… see, I got you to look after me, but you got me to look after you. – Lennie Small

Yes looking at the gazelle I almost broke into a Lennie Small. Then to top it all off this guy, as I was zoomed in to see some of his buddy further away, just pushes his head right into frame. How can you not want to take that home.

Just look at those colors.

“Color is all. When color is right, form is right. Color is everything, color is vibration like music; everything is vibration.”
— Marc Chagall

The colors of this duck just wowed me. Every color of the rainbow even down to the yellows of his legs and feet under the water. The fact that he sat still enough for me to get a good sharp picture including reflection in the water around him was awesome.

Jackass

“A lion does not become king of the jungle hunting mice.”
— Matshona Dhliwayo

Were going to have a little discussion on why this lion is a jackass. As I am walking around taking pictures of the big cats a lady and her friend ask me about my camera. She has a similar one, she wants to talk about upgrading, her friend makes her show me the picture of the lion roaring, which I heard coming into the cats area. As her friend is forcing this impromptu slide show ole leo there roars again. I cannot tear myself away from this other photographer and her zealous friend. Finally I get in position for my own gaping maw king of the jungle in all its splendor photograph. The I wait, and wait and wait old leo takes a nap. I walk off to look at the zebras, and that jackwagon roars again. This went on for the last couple hours of the day. Stand at lion pen, lion sleeps. Walk away, lion roar. I never did get a shot of him roaring. Just to rub salt in the wound as I was getting in the car yes he roared one last time to tell me good bye, jackass.

At least she cared about my photos.

“Every gesture was one of disorder and violence, as if a lioness had come into the room.”
— Anaïs Nin

Well she didn’t care so much about my photos as much as she was tired and napping on this cool afternoon. So as she ferociously opened her cavernous mouth revealing her deadly fangs I snapped away. Catching her yawning so she could rest yet again.

All in all it was a fun day at the zoo. It was off season and cooler. The cats were active and so were many other animals. Some of the warmer climate animals were inside while not as majestic this did allow for closer viewing. Unfortunately pictures through cage bars and thick glass do not make the best pictures. But as you can see I did get some good ones and some fun ones.