Visit to London Zoo - 29 September 2007

[grant]

Hello Everyone!

I'm not going to go into my 'Hayley Concert Report' mode for this very enjoyable day out to London Zoo with two very good friends from HWI, but I will give a brief resume and post a few pictures.

Somehow, I managed to be first there and met up with Richard and Gordon just before 11am. We hung around outside for a while, just in case anyone else decided to come and then went inside.

I think it must have been the mid 60's when I last visited and it seemed the Mappin Terraces were the only things I recognised from that visit!

There were some specific highlights for me, but I shall keep the best until last as I usually do! :wink: It was unfortunate that Gordon had a nasty fall, although it didn't stop him tucking into a hearty lunch of fish and chips - thanks Richard - (highly recommended by the way!) after his excellent medical attention.

Incidentally, I was disappointed to find no feedback facilities on the zoo's web site as I would have liked to have commented on the brilliant response by staff and medics alike. Within seconds a member of staff was on hand asking if we needed help. He then radioed for medical assistance which came very quickly in the form of a young chap who dealt with the situation very professionally. Keeping him in the medical centre for an hour or so whilst, at the same time, dealing with a 4 year old with a suspected broken arm.

Anyway, here are the first of my pictures and I apologise in advance for not noting all the individual breeds

Vulture

Black Footed Penguin

Monkey

More to come!

Best wishes
Grant

[grant]

Hello again!

Here are a few more pictures from our visit to London Zoo

This Bactrian Camel stubbornly refused to look in my direction!

A Sloth Bear enjoying the sunshine on the Mappin Terrace

The new Gorilla enclosure allows reasonably close encounters

One of my favourites of the day - a Monitor Lizard in the reptile house

The long and the short of the day still to come!!

Best wishes
Grant

[Mark]

Hi Grant

Thanks so much for your report and fantastic photos. I was sorry to hear about Gordon's incident and am pleased to hear that he was so well looked after and was alright in the end.

It sounds as though you had a good time

Best regards
Mark

[Stephany]

Woa - the penguin is absolutely adorable.
The lizard seems very big...or is it just the zoom effect?
Your pictures are beautiful, Grant. Thank you so much for sharing. I look forward to seeing the rest!

Love,
Stephany

[grant]

One of the highlights of the day for me was the Meerkat enclosure! They are very comical little creatures and are constantly on the look out for predators; burrowing into holes or warming thenselves under the heat lamp!!

A Natural History Lesson!

On lookout duty

Still on lookout duty

"Watching us watching him"

Last ones tomorrow!!

Best wishes
Grant

[grant]

stephany said:

The lizard seems very big...or is it just the zoom effect?

Hi Stephany

Glad you like the pictures. Animals and birds are not my usual subject, but I'm very pleased with the results and enjoyed taking the pictures and working with them.

The Monitor is one of the larger lizards, but I decided to do a 'head and shoulders' for effect. Fortunately he was very still as I had to use a longish exposure and hold the camera up to the glass cage.

Love
Grant

[dutchjoyce]

Hey Grant, nice to hear you had a nice day in the Zoo.
I love your wonderful pictures, special one is that monkey.
I remember it as Mister NILSON, from PIPI Langkous???
i think in English it is PIPI LANGSTOCKING

[dutchjoyce]

OOOPPSS, Greetings from the NETHERLANDS,joyce.

[Stephany]

Hi Grant,

Thank you for sharing your pictures of the Meerkat.
I had no idea it existed but it seems to be a lovely creature!

Love,
Stephany

[roger]

grant said:

The Monitor is one of the larger lizards...

Hi Grant,

Just for the record, the monitor lizards are a family comprising about 30 different species. I suspect the one you saw was the Komodo dragon which can grow to three metres in length!

Roger

[grant]

roger said:

grant said:

The Monitor is one of the larger lizards...

Hi Grant,

Just for the record, the monitor lizards are a family comprising about 30 different species. I suspect the one you saw was the Komodo dragon which can grow to three metres in length!

Roger

Thanks Roger

I knew someone would put me right if I got it wrong. My other choice would have been the Komodo!!

Best wishes
Grant

[graemek]

grant said:

One of the highlights of the day for me was the Meerkat enclosure! They are very comical little creatures and are constantly on the look out for predators; burrowing into holes or warming thenselves under the heat lamp!!



Grant

Hi Grant & thanks for providing all those very impressive shots.

Meerkats are wonderful creatures...I absolutely love them.
The last time I went to Sydney's zoo I probably spent the most time enraptured by these little guys.
Because of our warmer climate the enclosure is an open air one & one of my memories is of the guard meerkat making little preoccupied chattering noises as he anxiously surveyed his surroundings for predators. Like Hayley....terminally cute.
Graeme

[grant]

Hi Graeme

Thanks for your comments. Their enclosure in London Zoo is also in the open air, so perhaps that's why they have a sun lamp!!

Best wishes
Grant

[Oksana]

Yay! Meercats are my favourite animals! I loved all your photos... you really captured the "personality" in each animal. Thanks for sharing!

Oksy

[Richard]

This post has been moved from Hayley interviewed about Pavarotti.

mariannek said:

Hi Grant,
The Meercat on duty is absolutely gorgeous !! What a brilliant capture !!
You are such a gifted photographer...thank you so much for sharing your visit to the Zoo...we hope to take our little Rachel to the Sydney Zoo next week; she is on school holidays.

Love, Marianne