Asiatic Golden Cat

I am really pleased with this one. Timed things just right! I have a theory about photographing zoo animals, it reuires 4 things in these following percentages 5% is your gear, 5% is experience and skill, 45% is patience and 45% luck! In this instance it was luck! Any decent photographs I get are based on luck!

I agree with your theory; without luck you won't get anywhere in zoo photography.

As to patience, while I'm not so impatient that I leave an exhibit after only 30 seconds if an animal is hiding or sleeping (unlike most zoo visitors) I can only give it 10 minutes of my time at most, unless the animal in question is extremely rare or special. If you have a new zoo to see, and a big one at that, sadly there is not much time available to spend. But if you have a major local zoo, like your Edinburgh Zoo, it is a different matter. For me, with no local zoo and at most one or two chances a year to see zoos, while I'm abroad, it is a luxury not often affordable.