An Emotional Meeting

What a day, what an emotional experience! I had planned already some time ago to go with my son Joni (Flashead) to Korkeasaari (the Korkeasaari Zoo of Helsinki).

Korkeasaari is on an island outside Helsinki City. I had chosen this day specially because there are not so many people during a weekday and in the winter.

I picked up Joni at half past 12 and then we drove to Mustikkamaa. We left the car there and walked the kilometer long way to the gates to Korkeasaari. From there you have to still walk over a long bridge to the island.

When we arrived to the zoo I headed straight to the "Cat Valley". I had chosen this day specially because there are not so many people during a weekday and in the winter.

I have photographed the Siberian Amur tiger a couple of times. It has always been quite challenging because the tiger doesn't like the company of people. A few years ago I succeeded to capture the respectable beautiful animal, I think partly because I was alone at the whole zoo. At that time I felt so privileged to get so close to the tiger, it made me feel very emotional.

Now when we came to the cage of the Amur tiger it seemed at first not paying much attention to us and stayed laying quite far from us. After a while it got up and started pacing around in the snow. It was so beautiful to look at.

We stepped on the forbidden side of an low fence (how else would we get close enough). The tiger came closer and we shot as frequently as possible. Suddenly I realized that it had come so close to Joni that his camera lens got steamed of the tiger's breath.

Joni was so astonished and got up and we just stood there smiling to each other. I felt the tiger in my heart, I almost cried. It was such an emotional meeting!

You might want to look at this image as large.