While working at a zoo for more than 11 years, I had great access to behind-the-scenes animal areas and got to know the animals well. The lives of animals come full circle when you're there at their birth and throughout their lives.

I later worked for an entirely different "animal," a wildlife/theme park for almost 12 years, and while there were fewer animals, there was much more access to them as part of the uniqueness is the interactive animal programs, which can be a disconnect for someone coming from the hands-off zoo mentality, but a thrill too that we can have such close proximity to them.

I've since returned to the zoo world, and continue to take photos, though nowadays, mostly with my phone, which can sometimes result in some great images!