Category: Edinburgh

Taken back in July 2006 at the wonderful Edinburgh Zoo. This isn’t the best photograph I took on that day, but I noticed the sad expression on the Polar Bears face. As a native animal to the Arctic I don’t think it is cold enough in Scotland. For July the bear looked very hot and unhappy. I feel it is good to save these creatures from certain death (as was the case with Mercedes) but putting them on their own like this without a friend. It just seems very depressed. On well, I had never seen a Polar Bear before so it was a very weird experience.

The Zebra area at Edinburgh Zoo is fantastic for studying the animals and photographing them, there is no wire fence or people in the background. They have a large field to graze in at the top of the zoo (which is on a hill). Visitors can walk out onto a long walk way of around 100 metres into the field. This walk way is about 6 feet off the ground so you look down on the animals as they walk around and beneath you. This is why it appears I am looking down on the Zebra whilst taking this photo, it isn’t a strangely small Zebra, just I was standing 6 feet off the ground. Looking the other way gave even better views than the monkeys had lower down the hill at their enclosure. As long as you don’t mind the steep walk up the hill, this zoo is fantastic for seeing animals up close.

These chimps live in Edinburgh Zoo. The zoo is on an 82 acre site on the side quite a steep hill. It is a bus journey from the city centre but well worth the trip. I thought this was an interesting view of the monkeys and the Edinburgh suburbs in the background. Its a shame I didn’t have a longer lens, this was taken on my compact camera back in July 2006 and was cropped in Photoshop . With a longer lens I would have focus on the single chimp facing me and not included the other ones with there backs to the camera. I definitely recommend a trip to Edinburgh Zoo, and am hoping to go back next time I’m in the area.