carnivora

Gulo gulo gulo.

I'll be going to San Diego Zoo June 8th and possibly June 9th. As is fairly obvious I am indeed a huge hyena enthusiast, and with them keeping 2 species behind the scenes I would absolutely love to get to see them. Is there any way I could do this? Are there any keepers I could speak with?

Panthera tigris.

Ceiba occasionally rubs her head against objects in her enclosure like this to scent mark them.

Ceiba taking a break from her nap to look up at the visitors.

Another brief moment of expression in resting felids photo I managed to capture, this time featuring the zoo's resident male lion, Ingozi. He'd be very magnificent if he didn't always have his tongue out.

I was a bit bummed that the Amur leopard cubs never came out at any point during this visit, but it was cool to see their father, Sampson.

Waiting for those little moments of expression while felids are resting is tedious but rewarding.

Reka is always twitching her ears, which is really fun to capture.

This shot is very simple but I find it really appealing. I love how reflective their skin is.

Always love when I get the opportunity to show how long the canines of felids are.

This was captured right after the zoo opened, the only time throughout the entire visit that she was active. I was very lucky to be where I was at the time.

Reka looking very fierce.

This photo kind of shows how small Ingozi is for a male. He is a little further back, but still. He doesn't seem aware of this, however.

Cabara being lazy, as lions do.

The pinnipeds are frequently called to the rocks for procedures like this and for training. If you're ever here, I highly recommend sticking around for a bit to catch one of these sessions. Its a great opportunity to observe their behavior and features, and can make for some fun photos!

This should be the last of my back catalog photos for a while. I have a couple I need to edit that I might upload here and there but from now on pretty much everything I put out will be from this year.

This was taken so long ago. I remember noticing how peaceful it looked with the cheetah laying in the flowers. Probably a moment I could do more justice now, but I think I did a sufficient job capturing it.

I love how I was able to capture this at just the right moment so he looks like he's scowling. This shot always makes me think of Scar from The Lion King.

The idea behind this one is pretty simple. I wanted to show the thorns complimenting the cheetah's fangs. While the execution could be better I still think its pretty effective.