Wildlife Images III
Here we go, then, the third in what will probably be an ongoing series of wildlife blogs. I feel like Rocky (Balboa, not the penguin).
For anyone who hasn’t seen the previous blog posts, I do forgive you, and you can see them on these links.
Before I get to the beautiful animals, I would like to talk a little about zoos and my thoughts on photographing animals in such an environment.
I believe zoos suffer from a naming problem and from historical connections with horrific stories surrounding the mistreatment of animals. I love animals and the natural world; there is little better for me than seeing and photographing a wild animal in its natural habitat. One of my lifetime highlights was a gorilla trek in the African jungle, details of which can be read about on this blog, Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda. So, yes, I fully agree in a perfect world seeing animals in their natural environment is the preferred option.
However, we do not live in a perfect world. Animals far too often need protection from the cruelty and lack of consideration shown by humanity. In addition, there is an educational element in play. I know for a fact that I have posted images of birds and animals that readers have never seen before - indeed, I had never seen them myself until seeing them in a zoo or bird park. Increasing knowledge and awareness of the beauty and diversity of the animal kingdom has to be a good thing? Increasingly, well-known species of animals are becoming endangered. If zoos can help preserve and argue for legislation to protect those animals, that also has to be a good thing.
Underlying any support I may have for zoos is the need for proper respect and treatment for the animals they may house. This brings me back to an earlier point about naming these institutions. The word “zoo” has connotations with cages and mistreatment, with people gawking at poorly-treated animals being caged in a totally inappropriate environment. I would suggest that “animal conservation park” sounds a lot better than “zoo”. A change of name, a shift in mentality, perhaps. During this challenging time with lockdown and restrictions around the globe, zoos have suffered through lack of income and this, ultimately, affects the very animals they seek to protect. I was heartened by a story this week where Chester Zoo in England raised a considerable sum through a “just giving” appeal. You can read about that story on this link, Chester Zoo campaign raises £1m. Chester Zoo is the most visited zoo in the UK and is a conservation and education charity committed to saving endangered animals. That sounds like a good thing, to me.
Now I am clearly no David Attenborough, I am no animal rights activist, I am no Jane Goodall. I’m just a short, fat guy with a camera who sometimes gets lucky and takes a decent image. If ever any photo I take or word I write even slightly makes people think or appreciate the animal kingdom just a little more, then I take some satisfaction from that.
OK, I shall now get on with the photos and try to include some facts and thoughts as I go through the images.
Orangutan images always get good feedback when I post them on my Facebook page. These beautiful animals always seem to be intelligent and gentle. Hopefully, some of that comes across here. We see a child shielding their eyes from the sun and clinging on to a parent, who is looking upwards keeping an eye on the wee one. This shot was taken in Singapore Zoo where the orangutans have a large and uncaged/open-air enclosure with trees, vines and an extensive play area. Many of the animals here are rescued from the illegal pet trade.
Let’s throw in a pic of a young ‘un just because they are so damned cute! Orangutans have suffered terribly from deforestation and the illegal pet trade. We desperately need to improve as a species, but thankfully people and organisations are increasingly putting their time and money on the line to try and help.
I posted a shot of this wee chap on Facebook yesterday, but I think this image is a better one! This is a “Javan Langur”. They are born with this colouration but get darker as they grow older. I’m jealous; I just went bald.
Here we have an older Javan Langur, showing the change in colouring.
This was also in Singapore, but nothing captive about these crocs! It often surprises people that there are wild saltwater crocs in Singapore, but several can be found in the Sungei Buloh wetlands area near the causeway to Malaysia. I’m not making this stuff up. In 2018 I was lucky enough to be there when this fella was feeding. Apparently, they feed when the tides go in and out - as that’s when the fish are on the move. I never realised that they could leap out of the water like this; it seems they do this to help them position their prey better. Or show off to their mates about the size of their catch. Anyway, yes - there are wild crocs in Singapore.
And here he is again, with the fish all ready to slide down the crocodile throat. Incidentally, this was snapped with a long zoom lens; I was well away from him! For anyone technically minded, I was using a 400mm lens with a 1.4x converter, giving an effective focal length of 560mm. And the image was subsequently cropped.
Here we have a praying mantis, also taken at Sungei Buloh. I’m including it because I think it’s funny. To try and add some value here, they have a life span of around 1 year in the wild. Nat Geo told me that, and I shall now remember that fact forever. So will you. Thank me later.
What the hell this is I have no idea. I don’t know what way round it goes or what those spikes/horns are for. Spitting venom at photographers for all I know. (closest I could find was a black swallowtail caterpillar, but they don’t have the spike thingies, so I’m at a loss).
Not the best of images, but anything to escape the bugs in the previous two shots. Man, I don’t like bugs. You know, some people make careers out of studying those things?!? Barmy. Anyway, this is a spinner dolphin. They are called “spinners” because they leap out of the water and, well…”spin”.
OK, back to Singapore Zoo and here's some background into why I support some of these institutions. This is a Komodo Dragon, a species seen as a national treasure to the extent that they can only be given away by the Indonesian President.
From the Singapore Zoo website, "As with many reptiles, one of the challenges in breeding Komodo dragons is the difficulty of telling males from females without DNA tests or ultrasound scans. After 34 years of caring for Komodo dragons, we celebrated our first-ever hatching in 2009. and we've been successfully breeding them since.
Wild Komodos are on the decline due to a shortage of egg-laying females, poaching and human encroachment. We hope to help ensure their future survival through our breeding efforts."
Back into the wild again, but still in Singapore. This is a monitor lizard, and these boys get BIG!. Not komodos though, so they won’t kill you. I don’t think.
OK, this is a contentious one. When I first arrived in Singapore over 14 years ago, the white tigers quickly became my favourite animals to see and photograph in the Zoo. They have a good-sized enclosure, jungle areas, a big pool of water, different levels etc. Next to the tiger enclosure, there are lots of information boards telling visitors about how endangered these animals are, so I started to read more on the issue.
There is some conflicting information out there, but the best I can gather is that white tigers are not naturally occurring and came about from crossbreeding Siberian and Bengal tigers - and subsequent inbreeding. I have found conflicting reports on the origins of these animals and whether they are naturally occurring, but there are now 300 in zoos around the world. The Australasia Zoo Aquarium Association says “ ‘Due to their uniqueness they are often selectively bred, which can lead to health problems. Health problems may be more frequently encountered due to the inbreeding, which is typically required to maintain the white characteristic. They include cleft palates, immune deficiencies, mental impairments, spinal problems and issues with lung development.’”
Zoos claim that “white tigers can act as ambassadors for their wild cousins.”. I find this a depressing topic and certainly food for thought.
Here we are looking at a male copper throated sunbird. Impressed I know that? Don’t be; I had no clue. Someone on a Singapore nature page told me. One of the secrets to life that is - if you don’t know something, find someone who does. Write that down; I’m giving you gold here.
I will add a couple more images to finish up with, but before I do so, please forgive me for giving a couple of links and for some self-promotion.
Firstly, the links. If you are interested in wildlife and wildlife images I would recommend the following:
National Geographic The Photo Ark: One Man's Quest to Document the World's Animals
Please do check out the above book - either for yourselves or as a gift. It truly is astonishing, and I do not say that lightly.
Less astonishing is the next link, primarily because it is my own work. It is a record, in writing and images, of a trip around Scotland I made in July 2019.
Scotland and the North Coast 500
I have also started to produce 1,000 piece jigsaws from my images. You can see them on the Travelling Fatman Jigsaw Emporium. For the record, I have ordered one myself to check quality - the photos may be rubbish, but the quality of the pieces and finish is excellent.
Various products can also be found on Displate, RedBubble and Zazzle. Prints can be found on Picfair.
OK, that was embarrassing so let's move swiftly on…
This incredible bird always seems to get a good response when I post his images. This was taken several years back in a bird park. He is a Shoebill Stork, sometimes known as a whalehead. Whalehead sounds pretty unflattering, so I stick with Shoebill.
They are native to the swamps of eastern tropical Africa, and I have found a decent write up on them on this website. Worth a read, if you have time.
Saw this in Sungei Buloh in Singapore, scared the hell out of me. No idea what it is, but there’s no way you’re telling me that this isn’t a man-killer. Look at it! I took the photo then bolted. Legend has it that one of these things took on a swarm of killer hornets and saw them all off with barely a scratch.
This is more like it, this won’t kill you. This is a mudskipper. Basically an amphibious fish. Bit weird.-, but I’m not one to judge on looks and behaviour.
Let’s fire in another Komodo pic - I got lucky, he was sticking his tongue out at me. Bit rude, but lovely to catch on a photo.
To finish off this blog here is one more image of the wee orangutan chilling out and getting a piggyback. Happy days!
OK all, that’s me done for now. Apologies, this blog is longer than I intended, but I hope that you liked at least some of the images.
All that is left for me now is to wish all of you safety and happiness. Be kind to each other and be nice to animals!
Fatman xxx