ianmichaelthomas
Catching Some Rays
Ahhh...this female jaguar is lying on her back, catching the sunbeams, just like any domestic house cat - domestic, not domesticated!
Unfortunately the metal cage wire is very difficult to remove from the photos, and it spoils an otherwise very good portrait opportunity.
A very rare opportunity to photograph the jaguars in near clear conditions.
Normally the two jaguars are well hidden by the thick foliage replicating Amazon rainforest, and the thick cage wire.
I have only a handful of clear photos of these beautiful cats.
These jaguars are very easy to tell apart - this is the female, the male is black!
The female was sitting in the sunshine at the relative open of the front of the enclosure.
As it happens, she was really flirting, and making herself available - the male caught on, and they demonstrated how rough big cat sex is!
And I managed a few good shots of the female jaguar - usually impossible due to the thick jungle foliage and the thick bars of the enclosure.
For a change, she was sitting/lying in the relative open at the front of the enclosure, so I got some pretty good shots.
As it proved, it was for a definite reason - she was being very flirtatious - and the male jaguar caught on and obliged with mating.
"What's it doing, Mummy?" - several young kids asked - "Eh...ah...fighting!"
Made me smile! Mind you, big cat mating isn't a new age tantric mumbo - its definitely wham, bang, roar! The female manages a heavy paw swipe as the male dismounts.
And perhaps 2 minutes later, they "fight" again. And of course, she actually, really is asking for it....
An education indeed!
Royal Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
Catching Some Rays
Ahhh...this female jaguar is lying on her back, catching the sunbeams, just like any domestic house cat - domestic, not domesticated!
Unfortunately the metal cage wire is very difficult to remove from the photos, and it spoils an otherwise very good portrait opportunity.
A very rare opportunity to photograph the jaguars in near clear conditions.
Normally the two jaguars are well hidden by the thick foliage replicating Amazon rainforest, and the thick cage wire.
I have only a handful of clear photos of these beautiful cats.
These jaguars are very easy to tell apart - this is the female, the male is black!
The female was sitting in the sunshine at the relative open of the front of the enclosure.
As it happens, she was really flirting, and making herself available - the male caught on, and they demonstrated how rough big cat sex is!
And I managed a few good shots of the female jaguar - usually impossible due to the thick jungle foliage and the thick bars of the enclosure.
For a change, she was sitting/lying in the relative open at the front of the enclosure, so I got some pretty good shots.
As it proved, it was for a definite reason - she was being very flirtatious - and the male jaguar caught on and obliged with mating.
"What's it doing, Mummy?" - several young kids asked - "Eh...ah...fighting!"
Made me smile! Mind you, big cat mating isn't a new age tantric mumbo - its definitely wham, bang, roar! The female manages a heavy paw swipe as the male dismounts.
And perhaps 2 minutes later, they "fight" again. And of course, she actually, really is asking for it....
An education indeed!
Royal Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Victoria, Australia