Jungle Queen

 Not that I  follow football but as the Women's Football World Cup is taking place at the moment I thought a picture of a Lioness would be appropriate... I am far more interested in the big cats than the soccer team actually so I was very pleased to capture this lovely shot at Chester Zoo, where the Lions have a fantastic new enclosure.

Pretty Flamingo

 Today I am following up yesterday's flaming excellent abstract with some more conventional shots of the flamingos at the zoo.

I have seen flamingos flying in the south of France but never had an opportunity to photograph them in the wild. So to get some shots I had to see them in the zoo. They are currently in the breeding season, in fact several birds could be seen sitting on eggs ( I wont say on nests because they actually create a mound of earth with a rim around the top and lay their egg on top). In previous years the zoo  staff have removed the eggs and replaced them with wooden replica eggs to avoid the risk of predation while the actual eggs are placed in incubators where they could hatch safely. However this year for the first time, since the flock is housed in a new and spectacular aviary, the eggs have been left with the parent birds and will be allowed to hatch naturally. Perhaps I will go back in a few weeks to see the new chicks, that would be quite something.

The colours of the birds' plumage at the moment is quite stunning, so vibrant and eye catching.

Cheeky

The title of today's post relates firstly to the magnificent cheek bones of the elephant in the first picture 

Secondly it relates to the cheeky pose of the oh so cute baby elephant in the other picture.

Enjoy!

Primate Portrait

Tamron 150mm - 600mm f/5 - 6.3

ISO500   450mm   f/6.3    1/200 sec

I really love this portrait of a Sulawesi Crested Macaque, he is sat in a very thoughtful pose and was intently watching the activity in the enclosure.

You may remember that in 2014 there was a lot of fuss generated over the copyright issues related to a selfie taken by a Crested Macaque just like this but I can guarantee this photo is all my own work and there is no doubt about who owns the copyright.

They are a critically endangered species with just 5,000 left in the world and just 2,000 left in the rainforests of Sulawesi. This represents an 80% decline in the population in just 30 years as a result of habitat loss.

Beautiful Big Cat

Wow

This is one of my favourite big cats and I think these are really lovely pictures, especially the second shot.

I love the expression on his face, he is very clearly concentrating on something as he was patrolling his territory.

Hide n Seek

I love this shot of a Bush Dog peeping out from its underground den. He was uncertain whether to come out and join the rest of the pack or not and he kept popping in and out before  finally making the decision to come out to play.

These little creatures are really playful and it is fun to watch them running around often playing a game of follow the leader but here it is much more a game of hide n seek.

Just Hanging Around

There is something funky about these Silvery Gibbons and watching them swing their way around the massive enclosure was totally awesome. They move so effortlessly and climb to the top of the trees chasing each other around.

Yesterday with the pictures of the Sumatran Orangutan I was struck by the sadness of seeing them in the zoo when their numbers are declining due to the impact of humans on their environment and after I posted it I wondered whether I had been too negative. Today however posting these pictures and doing just a little research about the Silvery Gibbon I wonder whether I didn't go far enough. I didn't start this blog to make comment about the world or humanity, primarily it is about the photography but the natural world and wildlife photography is so important to me and every now and then some of the pictures I take give me cause to think more about issues beyond the picture.

These Gibbons are really cute and amazing but they are incredibly rare, it is thought that there are just 2,500 remaining in their natural home in Java, the only place on this planet where they can be found in the wild. They're endangered because of the activities of mankind which has caused the destruction of 96% of their natural habitat. As if that wasn't enough they face a further threat from the illegal trade in wildlife because babies are captured and sold off as pets.

I don't want to be negative, I want people to appreciate these beautiful creatures, I want people to enjoy my photography and hopefully I will achieve that but as a race we really need to clean up our act and value this world and all it offers.

A Jungle V.I.P.

The Sumatran Orangutan really is a jungle V.I.P. 

It is one of three species of orangutans and they are critically endangered with the population in serious decline due to the relentless destruction of Sumatra's rain-forest.

At dinner tonight I asked everyone if they could choose to see any sight in the world what would it be, when it came to my turn I said that it would be to go and see orangutans living in the wild. I think that would be an amazing experience but the opportunity to do so is becoming ever more remote. I hadn't planned on posting this picture today but after my dinner time conversation it seems fitting to do so.

I was going to try and find something funny to comment about both of these pictures but I don't know about you but to me the orangutan in my first picture looks pretty sad, or fed up and the youngster in the second shot looks bored and while I love these pictures I couldn't find anything funny to say.

We are blessed to live in such a beautiful world with such diversity, it is sad that as a species we do so much to damage the world and harm its helpless inhabitants. I am glad to have had the chance to photograph these creatures at Chester Zoo, the conservation work they do there is so very important but wouldn't it be so much better if we didn't need places like zoos. 

On The Prowl

I had only seen the Malaysian Sun Bear very briefly and from a distance on one previous occasion so I was very pleased when I spotted this chap last week at Chester Zoo although my first sight of hi was as his rump disappeared through the flap into the interior of his "den". I couldn't really blame him for beating a retreat because there were two large parties of screaming primary school children visiting and as much as I like kids I would have happily found a quiet corner to escape the rabble.

The female bear was on view but she was sleeping in a corner with her head under her paws, either that or she was doing a good impression of sleeping until the kids moved on to torment their next helpless victims.

I patiently waited and then out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of a carrot, followed quickly by a slice of melon come flying over the fence into the enclosure. Several more tasty looking snacks came soon after and then my patience was rewarded as the male bear tempted out by the food came out of his hiding place allowing me a moment to get a few decent shots.

I love bears, I prefer to see them in the wild of course and I am hoping that when I go to Canada later this year I will get to see some more. These Sun Bears are smaller than the Black Bears I have seen in Canada but they are just as cute.  Look at those claws though, even though he looks cuddly I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of this little fella.

Elephants Just Wanna Have Fun

I have been dying to share this picture since I took it at the end of my visit to the zoo, it is one of my favourite pictures so far this year. However, I had wanted to finish my selection from my day at the beach and so I have had to be patient.

I managed to get a number of really good shots at the zoo and I was on my way out happy with my days work. I hadn't intended to get any shots of elephants because usually at the end of the day they have been moved inside. On this occasion though I was leaving earlier than usual and so the whole family of elephants were out. I was mostly focusing on the younger family members and this little chap was really active. I was so pleased to capture this shot as the young elephant decided to have a dust bath and I got the timing spot on as it threw the shower of dust over its head. 

I think this is a really happy image and so I hope it brightens your day as much as it does mine.

Red Panda

One of my favourite mammals; the Red Panda. 

OK it may be a bit cliche because they are just so cute but they really are beautiful and whenever I visit Chester Zoo I am drawn to see them. 

I love this shot, I think the lighting is spot on with the sun coming in from the right and the shaded areas helping to frame the panda as it was trotting towards me.

Striking A Pose

These Bush Dogs really are so cute and catching them out running around making the most of the winter sun was such a treat. 

They are almost constantly on the move though and they rarely seem to stop so when these two paused momentarily I was lucky enough to capture the moment. Reviewing these images I thought how they were striking a model pose, especially the second one where he was looking directly at the camera.

Hidden Beauty

Ok, so there is nothing hidden about the beauty in the first shot, it is quite simply a stunningly beautiful butterfly and he is putting it all out proudly on display.

In the second image however the butterfly is of a much different kind, preferring to hide its light so to speak. Yesterday's image of the Chameleon was all about body language and camouflage and so it seemed right to show two different, contrasting creatures today with the bold colours to attract attention for one and the full on camouflage for the other.

There is so much to love about the world we live in.

Body Language

Apparently Chameleons can change colour according to their mood as well as for the purpose of camouflage, and also it is thought to attract a mate. Unfortunately I am unable to determine what mood this little fella is in, is he happy, sad or indifferent?

We all know that we can communicate through body language, sometimes it is intentional and easily understood, other times it is extremely subtle and hard to read and sometimes it is completely subconscious and often it is misunderstood. Sometimes we can even mislead people by controlling our body language to confuse or mislead people. Oh what complex beings we are!

Reptiles

Just a quick post tonight with a couple of mobile phone pictures taken at the zoo last week.

I don't have much to say about these images, I can't remember what species the lizard is. The python is an impressive specimen, over 20ft long.

"Beautiful Squirrels"

These rare Prevost Squirrels ( Callosciurus prevostii) or Tri-Coloured Squirrels from South East Asia belong to a genus of squirrels which are collectively known as "Beautiful Squirrels" and it is easy to see why.

Chester Zoo has a family group of five with three young being born earlier this year. I wouldn't be at all surprised if those numbers increase in about six weeks time given the activity going on in the enclosure during my visit to the zoo yesterday...

Cuteness Redefined

I think this is undoubtedly one of the cutest creatures ever. It is a Phillipines Mouse Deer. Its body is about the size of a rugby ball (or American football) and it lives in the undergrowth on the forest floor. Unfortunately the available light was really poor so I have had to use a high ISO so the pictures are quite soft and grainy but although I would like to have a better image to share I couldn't not share these with you. They are an endangered species so it was great to be able to see these today.

A is for...

Adorable!

So I was going to say how cute this bear cub is but I used Cute yesterday so I settled on adorable and I think it is quite clear to see the Andean Bear Cub is totally adorable whether stuck up a tree (as in my post on Christmas Eve) or with all four feet firmly on the ground.

I love to photograph animals in their natural surroundings but sadly I don't get the opportunity to travel to exotic places so sometimes only the zoo will do. I will be heading back to the zoo tomorrow so all being well I will be able to see how this little chap is getting along and get some good shots of some of the other specimens.

I know that some people will dislike the idea of zoos and animals like this in captivity but I have seen how the zoo at Chester has changed over the years and the conservation work they do is of immense importance so going to the zoo supports this work and helps preserve seriously endangered species.

C is for Cute

So although it is Christmas Day I wanted to keep things going and share a little bit of cuteness and this little Bush Dog is certainly very cute  but he can also be quite aggressive so it's best to admire him from a distance.

Seasons greetings.

Climbing High

It is Christmas Eve and by now hopefully everyone is ready for the big day tomorrow. I for one am ready to put my feet up and take things easy, for a while at least. I still have time to share a picture with you though...

I took this one earlier this year during a visit to Chester Zoo. I hope to go back to the zoo later this week to see how all the animals are doing and hopefully see some of the recent arrivals. For now here is a super cute bear cub up a tree which I am sure will raise a smile.

I hope that you enjoy this picture and I wish you all very best wishes for the season, Merry Christmas