Outings with Lenses 1
Jan. 23rd, 2012 09:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bunnOn Saturday, we went to Dartmoor Zoo.
Dartmoor Zoo is a little pocket-sized zoo started by a nutter in the days when zoo legislation was somewhat laxer. A few years ago, the nutter was becoming elderly and so was the zoo, so he decided to sell it.
Another chap, (barely saner), bought it, and is now attempting with enormous energy and verve, and not really enough money, to bring it up to 21st century standards. The animal care I think is actually pretty good - they have always had big enclosures for the large predators, and they seem to be putting a load of work into environmental enrichment and keeping things clean and safe for the beasts. But some of the animals are rather old and quirky, and so is the plumbing and decor. I quite like that they are clearly putting the conditions for the animals in front of things like new loos for the visitors :-D
I took my 75mm lens with me. This was just the lens for the job, although the light was quite dim.
Youngish wolf:
Very very old wonky wolf. I kind of wanted to bring this wolf a squashy bed by the fire...
We saw the tigers fed. They were fed on chunks of Dartmoor pony. Gulp.
According to the sign, Fudge is 'thought to be a Syrian brown bear'. I get the impression she's quite an old bear and nobody really knows where they got her... She doesn't look much like the photo on the Wikipedia page, I must say, but presumably the zoo has more reputable sources than that.
I was tempted to post this last one in the middle of a bunch of other walk photos as seen on the moor. The cheetah's enclosure is basically a big hill with a moat and walls around the outside.
Dartmoor Zoo is a little pocket-sized zoo started by a nutter in the days when zoo legislation was somewhat laxer. A few years ago, the nutter was becoming elderly and so was the zoo, so he decided to sell it.
Another chap, (barely saner), bought it, and is now attempting with enormous energy and verve, and not really enough money, to bring it up to 21st century standards. The animal care I think is actually pretty good - they have always had big enclosures for the large predators, and they seem to be putting a load of work into environmental enrichment and keeping things clean and safe for the beasts. But some of the animals are rather old and quirky, and so is the plumbing and decor. I quite like that they are clearly putting the conditions for the animals in front of things like new loos for the visitors :-D
I took my 75mm lens with me. This was just the lens for the job, although the light was quite dim.
Youngish wolf:
Very very old wonky wolf. I kind of wanted to bring this wolf a squashy bed by the fire...
We saw the tigers fed. They were fed on chunks of Dartmoor pony. Gulp.
According to the sign, Fudge is 'thought to be a Syrian brown bear'. I get the impression she's quite an old bear and nobody really knows where they got her... She doesn't look much like the photo on the Wikipedia page, I must say, but presumably the zoo has more reputable sources than that.
I was tempted to post this last one in the middle of a bunch of other walk photos as seen on the moor. The cheetah's enclosure is basically a big hill with a moat and walls around the outside.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-02-02 06:40 pm (UTC)Where I have just been for a walk this evening there are a lot of shetland ponies roaming, very small and almost all pregnant, as they are every year... I'm guessing that there may not be much demand for those as riding ponies, they are tiny!
no subject
Date: 2012-02-02 06:55 pm (UTC)Poor little shetlands. What a dismal fate for the wee things...