Fota Wildlife park in Cork is dedicated to breeding endangered species. Since they have had a lot of success with cheetahs they are moving out to try and preserve other endangered animals. While visiting I met this black spider monkey who doesn't look to be too enthralled by his life. Is life in captivity worth it to save a species?
In the upper reaches of the Amazon, in Bolivia there are so many caiman in the rivers but one doesn't often see more than the eyeball poking out above the surface.
Squirrel Monkeys are common in the jungles and forests around the Amazon basin in the Bolivian Lowlands. However seeing them isn't so easy unless they come to the edges of the forest. This cute troop came to the waters edge while we were heading upstream in a motorised canoe.
I still have to find a subject that suits black and white better than a Zebra. The contrast always makes for a good image. However I think I still haven't succeeded in finding a zebra that makes a stunning black and white. A good excuse to go back to Africa.
Elephants normally travel in herds which means that family portraits are relatively easy. However just like any family they don't always look at the camera all at the same time.
Elephants are often hard to photograph on safari, especially if you aren't a professional with multiple cameras and lots of lenses. Sometimes they get so close that your longer wildlife lens is just too much for the herd. However that allows for nice close ups of the smaller members of the family.
There is a reason why the collective noun for zebras is a dazzle. It is impossible to single them out and count them individually with all those stripes.
The Kori Bustard is the largest flying bird in Africa. However they do like to stroll as well and are often seen strutting around the savanna. I am not sure I managed to see one flying, never mind get a shot of them.
The stripes of a zebra is designed to blend into the stripes of another when seen by a predator from afar. Normally the young are a bit more brown than black but I probably wasn't sure which end was the mother and which was the young until I got home and went through my images.
The scaly skin of reptiles just makes black and white photos the obvious choice. I love the way the black and white makes the detail in the skin stand out.
The animals of the Galapagos Islands really have no fear of humans. As such the young can be very inquisitive around photographers.
I don't do a lot of editing to my photos. Often just black and white is an 'extreme' edit. However I thought considering the look in B&W and the iconic nature of the birds feet that a selective colour would work for this.
Shooting birds in flight is pretty difficult. As they move the background moves in ways determined by the bird and not you. However after following certain birds for long enough you see where they are going and as the gulls kept flying towards the sun I managed to get the sun reflecting nicely in the water below.
It is amazing that these creatures, that are build like a tank, would be threatened by anything. However humans have created weapons that easily out gun rhinos. 150 years ago when rifles were weak rhinos were considered one of the stronger animals. Today though we have to look after them as all rhino species are endangered.
What better reason to go to a cloud forest than to try and get a photo of a hummingbird. This guy was more tricky than most as he didn't hover very long.
It isn't often that Chamois come down from the high mountains. However near my home in Innsbruck there are quite a number that regularly come to a disused quarry at night time. Having the daylight to get a photo is a rare but welcome occurence.
