Zoo Trip #19: Bristol Zoo

As in 2010, the weather was too poor for a zoo trip in December (I try to get to a zoo at least once a month) and I nearly didn't make it in January. Although not expecially cold, the weather had been damp and dull and the prospects of photographing animals huddled in their shelters in poor, shadowless light hadn't appealed. Luckily, the sun came out just in time, and we made it to Bristol Zoo on the last day of January.

I've been keeping an eye on the lion cubs, Jay and Kaly, born on Christmas Eve in 2010, and they have grown and matured dramatically since our last visit in October. It is now easy to tell the boy from the girl, but harder to tell Kaly apart from her mother, Shiva. Jay is short for Jayendra, and Kaly (pronounced 'Kally') for Kalyana. Jayendra means lord of victory, and Kalyana means beautiful. The names are of Indian origin as they are Asiatic lions. Their birth, the first in a decade at the zoo, is important for conservation as there are less than 400 of these left living wild.

We had also been fortunate before to see the baby lowland gorilla, then barely a month old, but it had proved impossible to photograph. This time it was away behind the scenes being fed with its mother and we thought we would miss out, but later we were allowed special access after the official closing time to see it being cosseted by mother.

I have chosen instead to share, though, this other gorilla, patiently enjoying her broccoli before an entranced audience.

L.
1.2.2012

Blip #618
Consecutive Blip #039
Day #678

Alternatives:
Lion Pride
Dwarf Croc
Lemur Huddle
Shoal Of Fish In The Lake

Bristol Zoo, 31 January 2012 (work in progress)

Lens: Pentax 17-70mm, Sigma 70-300mm

Zoo Trip series

One year ago: Wilts and Berks Canal

For some reason Picasa 3.9 stripped out most of the EXIF data on this one, but it was taken at 15:39:21 hr at 1/25th, f4, 63mm, ISO 800.