When I was driving from Charleston to Charlotte, the last thing that I wanted to do was get back into the car on Saturday or Sunday morning and drive for another hour to the zoo. Well, now that I’m back in town, I decided to head to the zoo this morning.
I wanted to arrive at the time that the zoo opened, 9:00 AM. I didn’t quite make it because I needed to stop and get some sunblock and a drink. Things are very expensive inside. I arrived at the gate around 9:30 AM, and as expected, found that the zoo was pretty crowded. It was, after all, Saturday morning. There were lots of kids around … lots. 
I could have had a blast with my Leica, but today I was there for the animals.
Fortunately, I know the layout of the zoo pretty well. I decided that I’d only cover half of the zoo today. Africa. I’ll catch North America next time. Further, I knew exactly what I wanted to see: Baboons, Lions, Elephants, Zebras, and Giraffes. I figured that I’d probably spend 2 hours there and then head out.
The shooting was difficult today because there were so many people crowding around the various viewing areas, so I had to be patient. In all, I spent about 2 hours and took nearly 40 shots. That’s right! 40!
It was hard to stand around and continue to shoot with so many people vying for viewing space, so I shot a couple of shots and moved on. Maybe next time I’ll take the Leica and focus on the people. That would be a first, for me, at the zoo.
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Paul, I probably wouldn’t have stayed as long as you did with lots of kids and visitors around. I haven’t been to the Zoo in a while but with schools soon letting out for the summer I may wait till next fall.
I like that Baboon photo!
Earl: The fall is my preferred time to go, especially during the day. I have taken a day off and gone a weekday and practically had the zoo to myself; no one there except me and the staff. Talk about a lovely day for photographing.
I am surprised you didn’t start with the people – after all – they are the wild animals outside their enclosures!