By Steve Scheunemann Pictures by Steve Scheunemann
Southern California is full of adventures. It is overflowing with great photo opportunities. I love shooting animals…with my camera.
I love seeing them in their natural environment and getting that perfect picture. As a kid playing around with my camera I took
pictures in the local zoo. The animals looked bored and mostly just lay there doing nothing more exciting than rolling over. As often
as not my pictures of these lazy often overweight animals was marred by bars or fences.
Recently I discovered a place where I could shoot all the pictures I wanted of exotic animals in their natural environment, or at least
a reasonable facsimile. The San Diego Zoo Safari Park. For hours and directions see their website:
http://www.sdzsafaripark.org/planyourtrip/hours_and_directions.html
When my girlfriend and I arrived the Tiger Trail exhibit had just opened and was the first stop. Getting there around 1:00 in the
afternoon in July it was pretty hot. I was at first a little disappointed. The exhibit was beautiful but I could barely see one tiger
sleeping in the grass and the one I could see clearly was also sleeping.
This was clearly not the great photo op I’d hoped for. Leaving the Tiger Trail disappointed we walked around the rest of the park and
took the safari tram ride. If you make this trip and I strongly recommend it take your camera. Take a telephoto lens if you have one
and be prepared to get some great shots. The tram takes you around the large central enclosure of over 300 acres. There you will find
animals native to the African and Asian plains.
White rhinos lay in the mud while Ugandan and Red
Fronted Giraffes strip leaves from the trees. Nearby all
manner of animals graze, roam, occasionally fight and
raise their babies.
Quick Fact: This White Rhino is a female. The last
remaining male White Rhino, named Sudan, is 42 years
old and lives in Kenya under 24-hour armed-guard in order
to protect him from poachers and hunters. Breeding
programs have been unsuccessful, and poor health leaves
Sudan unable to mate, so his expected death in the very
near future could mean extinction for the northern White
Rhino.
White Rhino
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