Zoos have come a long way from the days of barred cages housing large predators relentlessly pacing back and forth, monkeys swinging from metal trapezes and hippos standing in dirty concrete pools. Zoos today make an earnest attempt at developing a more natural habitat for their charges. However, they are pretty much limited to their own environment and confines. It’s quite hard to recreate an 
African savanna or the Arctic tundra in the center of a Midwestern city. But try they must. 
The animals are there and there’s nowhere else for most of them to go. Like it or not, these animals have been born and bred in captivity for generations and would not stand a chance among their unfettered counterparts in the wild.
Y
et some of these animals do serve a purpose. In this world there are species on the verge of extinction through no fault of their own. Many animals are still hunted and killed for nothing more than a body part coveted as a souvenir or trophy, or simply because they are considered to be a nuisance. While people are becoming more aware and more humane, the poachers and the black markets still exist for a few of the more unenlightened, cruel and disgraceful members of our species. For those of us who do care, these animals can be studied and bred in captivity in the hope that someday, in a more perfect world, they will be free to live their lives as nature intended and not be subject to the risk of being penned up or shot down.
As controversial as they may be, our zoos remain a staple fixture in most large cities – a popular tourist 
attraction and a typical family haunt during summer vacations. A couple weeks ago, we made a trip to the St. Louis zoo to observe and photograph some of the animals in residence there. This is one of the zoos that is constantly trying to improve the habitats and make the animals feel at least a little more at home. In general, I like to spend some time observing each animal and trying to capture their activities 
and emotions. Since it was spring and many of the birds were actively breeding, my main focus this time was going to be the free flight bird house. However, the bird house is in the back of the zoo and I had to walk past many exhibits to get there and I got a little side tracked along the way, mostly by gorillas, flamingos and prairie dogs.
After I returned home and started looking through the images, I noticed a common theme among the expressions on the animals faces. When you take a closer look, you can tell they know something is 
amiss; something is not quite right. Call it melancholy, homesickness or the internal realization of a grave injustice. This world that they were born into is not the one where they belong. They sense the limitations of their confines, the inability to choose their own mates, hunt their own food and keep a safe distance from predators – namely humans. Some seem angry, some look sad or confused and others seem to be pleading with their eyes for a reprieve. Their freedom has been sacrificed for our Saturday afternoon enjoyment.
Why should the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness be limited to human beings alone? Shouldn’t these rights be extended to all of the earth’s creatures? It seems to me that in our own pursuits there are many ways in which we have taken it upon ourselves to surrender these rights on their behalf. For those of us who recognize the injustice, there are still many others who prefer to put their efforts into justifying and rationalizing their own selfish behavior. Nevertheless, there will come a time in the future when the earth as a whole will have to pay the cost of captivity.
views. Despite all of that, this place is still incredibly awesome. The best part and an absolute must-do, is the Maid of the Mist boat tour. Wearing a one-size-does-not-fit-all blue plastic poncho, you descend down 
to the river via elevator and get aboard a sturdy sea-faring vessel that takes you right up to the most monstrous waterfalls I’ve ever seen. Yes, you get wet but you also see beautiful rainbows, soaring seagulls and hear the crashing of the water as it spills over 100 feet into the Niagara River below. Pictures alone cannot represent how cool this really is. Well worth the $18 ticket!
stone stairways, tunnels, paths and bridges which follow alongside the stream and blend in beautifully with the gorge’s landscape. There’s even a part of the falls that go over the pathway so you can stand underneath and get a really unique view. 
Once again there were waterfalls and beautiful old stone walkways, bridges, stairs and walls. Craftsmanship and old world ambiance seem to abound in New York State Parks. This was the most expansive of the State Parks I went to and featured many more hiking trails and a very nice restaurant – which I ate at despite my muddiness from hiking said trails after a rain shower. 
climb. You can get very close and feel the spray as the water tumbles into the gorge below. A short way downstream there is a stone bridge where you can view the falls and the river head on. The last waterfall I encountered was the Wolf Creek Cascade, this one wasn’t quite as visible from the trail and hard to get a clear shot of, but was beautiful none the less.
A walk along the lake shore was equally as hazardous. The shore was covered in stones worn smooth and slick over time by the tide. Large pieces of debris were scattered about. This provided for lots of unsure footing and the need to climb over tangles of driftwood. As you clamber along this rocky shoreline there are some places where there isn’t much room between the incoming tide and the bluff wall, making you hope not to get caught off guard during high tide. With the waves crashing in over the large boulders, the spires towering overhead and the storm clouds rolling in over the lake it was quite a powerful scene. 
So I decided to take this opportunity to use the travel tripod I have been carting around with me and try some long exposure shots before the rain came in. As usual, I got caught up in the moment and my time management skills fell short. But thanks to a helpful grad student, I managed to make it back to my car just as the first drops began to fall and I avoided having to hike back along the treacherous Bluff Trail in a torrential downpour. 
Although photographing animals can be difficult, it also can be very rewarding. We have all seen those portraits of animals that make you stop dead in your tracks and say “Wow!” Something is so compelling that you just can’t take your eyes away. And often, it’s the eyes that draw us in. If we are given the opportunity to look into their eyes, we can begin to see the very essence of their soul. There’s no underlying agenda, no lies or deceit; they live the most basic of lives.
er than we would in the wild, how do we know what they are thinking and feeling? Whenever we have our cameras out, we spend more time studying our subject waiting for the right moment. We are still, we are quiet, we let our guard down and maybe, just for an instant, our eyes meet and there’s a mutual sense of kinship and respect. All it takes is the release of the shutter at just the right moment, a fraction of a second, and with luck we will capture their unique inner beauty.
The Last One Home 