Animals That You Have No Luck With

I’m pretty amateurish so this could just be a skill thing, but I just can’t win with red pandas. I don’t know if it’s just the ones at my local zoo, but are super picky about when they come out, and when they do, they’re either in a really weird pose, moving around too fast, or some combination of the two.
Aardvarks are kinda hard because of their schedule too. Whenever I get a picture of LPZ’s aardvark, it’s either her tail or she’s lying down and just kinda looks like an unidentifiable shape. The lighting when she comes out isn’t great, and she’s pretty active at that time so that’s not a good combo. But seeing her active is kind of a special treat, so that kind of makes up for it.

Chimps can also be tricky. Their glass isn’t always the cleanest because of both guests and chimps, and my phone likes to pick up the smudges. They also like to choose the weirdest parts of their enclosure to hang out in too.
 
Seeing polar bears underwater for me. My parents remember Willy swimming in his pool at the North Carolina Zoo, but I was only an infant then. I came close as far as seeing Philadelphia's polar bear underwater back in her twilight years - Coldilocks was just past the viewing glass in her pool, resting under a waterfall on some of the steps onside the pool. I did technically see her underwater, just from the above-water viewing area adjoining the pool. A year ago, I go with my dad all the way to Pittsburgh to see Snowflake swimming and even go to the zoo early, only to get distracted by the exhibits in Worlds of Discovery and Kids' Kingdom. I go backwards through Water's Edge (so instead of polar bears, sea otters and pinnipeds, vice versa) and see Snowflake underwater - and I see her underwater all right. *I* was underwater, and she was resting on a rock at the edge of the pool. I often make that joke sometimes whenever I tell this story. Hell, I actually went at the specific date that it was supposed to be "Polar Bear Enrichment Day" and all that happened was some lettuce was tossed into Snowflake's habitat. I'm not gonna discredit the keepers and their dedication to keeping Snowflake happy and healthy at all, and it would be wrong of me to suggest that animals should be continuously active. Not to anthropomorphize Snowflake or anything, but given the heat of the day, I absolutely understand why she wanted to stay inside. If anything, this should be a lesson for me that even seeing a polar bear *at all* is a privilege. I do wish to remember seeing a polar bear underwater at some point in my life, but it would certainly have to be the bear's perogative.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JVM
In my home zoo (Beauval) I've little luck with the Anteaters, Armadillos (both in current exhibit conditions), African Wild Dogs, the smallest species of birds (smaller than a sparrow) frogs and fish.

It's quite challenging to take good pictures of the Giant Otters although they are active.
For the Red Pandas there are clearly good and bad moments, depending to the hour of the day, the season (winter being globally better) and the light.

Conversely I don't have real problems with cats and primates, even if I must be patient to take good pictures of the latter.
 
Last edited:
I find it so frustrating that I can genuinely not get any half-decent photos of Red Pandas. It's usually either a case of they're off show (either out of the enclosure or just hiding all day), or everybody is crowding around way too much.
I also usually struggle with elephants of any species. I have no idea why, but it just never works out for me
 
Mac said:
I find it so frustrating that I can genuinely not get any half-decent photos of Red Pandas. It's usually either a case of they're off show (either out of the enclosure or just hiding all day), or everybody is crowding around way too much.
I also usually struggle with elephants of any species. I have no idea why, but it just never works out for me
Click to expand...

Do you have a few places you’ve tried? I’ve had good red panda luck at Shepreth, YWP and CWP and ok ones at Banham. I’ve found them most about at Shepreth at some point in the day though it involves a few repeat visits! The enclosure there is a bit of a circle so there’s also usually space to stand.
 
Lafone said:
Do you have a few places you’ve tried? I’ve had good red panda luck at Shepreth, YWP and CWP and ok ones at Banham. I’ve found them most about at Shepreth at some point in the day though it involves a few repeat visits! The enclosure there is a bit of a circle so there’s also usually space to stand.
Click to expand...
So far I've tried WMSP, PWP and Longleat. WMSP is always way too crowded unfortunately, and at PWP they have always been indoors when I'm around. Longleat last time was admittedly my own camera issues, and I'm going back in August so hopefully my luck will change!
 
I'd say aye-ayes are one of the animals which are amongt the 'holy-grail' of being most difficult to photograph.
Often their enclosures are not greatly spacious as they are not kept in typical primate compartments, so they are often prone to pacing around the enclosure at rather high speeds. Or maybe there is another reason for their erratic movements.
And then there is also the problem of nocturne behaviours - and so they are kept in darkened environments, which also for photography aren't great. Though perhaps with recent developments in camera technology in ISOs and arperture it may be possible. Maybe no one is willing to try.
 
dillotest0 said:
I'd say aye-ayes are one of the animals which are amongt the 'holy-grail' of being most difficult to photograph.
Often their enclosures are not greatly spacious as they are not kept in typical primate compartments, so they are often prone to pacing around the enclosure at rather high speeds. Or maybe there is another reason for their erratic movements.
And then there is also the problem of nocturne behaviours - and so they are kept in darkened environments, which also for photography aren't great. Though perhaps with recent developments in camera technology in ISOs and arperture it may be possible. Maybe no one is willing to try.
Click to expand...
Denver's area is way to dark, you really have to adjust your eyes alone to the darkness. Cincinnati s is a very good size enclosure and lite with bluish lighting. Cincinnati were getting so close to any kind of reasonable situation photography. San Francisco had a reasonable long sectioned aye-aye exhibits. But for unknown reason and malifunctioning of how zoo is run don't have Aye-aye anymore. I thought it was reasonable exhibit area. Cleveland's is somewhat small, and aye-aye just paces back n forth maybe up into structures.
 
There's only a single species I have truly had zero luck with:
- Snowy owls (I expected seeing one when I went to Sorocaba, but it most likely died years before my visit)

However, I have struggled to see some species in the last couple of years:
- Lowland pacas;
- Southern tiger cats.

A long time ago, I also struggled to see:
- Gray brockets;
- Maned wolves.
 
junglejim said:
Denver's area is way to dark, you really have to adjust your eyes alone to the darkness. Cincinnati s is a very good size enclosure and lite with bluish lighting. Cincinnati were getting so close to any kind of reasonable situation photography. San Francisco had a reasonable long sectioned aye-aye exhibits. But for unknown reason and malifunctioning of how zoo is run don't have Aye-aye anymore. I thought it was reasonable exhibit area. Cleveland's is somewhat small, and aye-aye just paces back n forth maybe up into structures.
Click to expand...
I recall San Diego has an exhibit with the exact opposite issue -
The enclosure is outside in broad daylight - but this essentially ensures that visitors at the zoo will never see the aye-aye.
Though I'm not sure if it's still there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top