ianmichaelthomas
King Ramalon Checks Me Out!
Wow! This is a VERY rare moment! Due to the storm force icy winds sweeping the state of Victoria, and the forecast of thunderstorms with hail...I nearly had the RMZ to myself yesterday morning. That is, normal sensible people stayed home!
I had checked the weather radar prior to leaving home, and thought I had a good two hour window before the rain arrived - and so it proved!
Seconds after I took this shot, the already very threatening clouds went even more angry grey and the rain started - giving me a dash to the car - but I had managed nearly two hours visit, so I was happy.
The storm force winds really spooked the tigers, who were particularly on edge - here the normally secretive Ramalon came RIGHT up to the glass viewing windows - straight at me!
I am using a 70 - 300 mm telephoto lens with a minimum 1 metre focus distance, so I had to back away, in order to get any focus. As it is, I had the ISO cranked right up to 800, as Ramalon was never still, and the light was so dark!
This is quite pleasing, really, as I had taken this hand-held, I was just about to put the camera away in the safety of a waterproof bag - when I heard the commotion, and saw Ramalon charging to the glass!
Here, he is millimetres back from the glass - I took a few other shots which aren't usable as his breath fogged the glass!
Ramalon is the magnificent ruling male Sumatran tiger, about 120Kg in weight, which is big for Sumatran tigers - the smallest surviving subspecies.
Royal Melbourne Zoo has a wonderful enclosure for the tigers - it is styled very much as Sumatran rainforest, with lots of trees, and even a pond to swim and play in.
Royal Melbourne Zoo staff are taking part in a proper preservation program for Sumatran wildlife - not just joining an international captive breeding program (although they do, and that is vital given the parlous state of Sumatran tigers in the wild) - they actively buy back land in Sumatra with the intent to rehabilitate the land as a wildlife preserve, to give animals such as the tiger and the Sumatran Orang-utan a chance to flourish again.
Royal Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
King Ramalon Checks Me Out!
Wow! This is a VERY rare moment! Due to the storm force icy winds sweeping the state of Victoria, and the forecast of thunderstorms with hail...I nearly had the RMZ to myself yesterday morning. That is, normal sensible people stayed home!
I had checked the weather radar prior to leaving home, and thought I had a good two hour window before the rain arrived - and so it proved!
Seconds after I took this shot, the already very threatening clouds went even more angry grey and the rain started - giving me a dash to the car - but I had managed nearly two hours visit, so I was happy.
The storm force winds really spooked the tigers, who were particularly on edge - here the normally secretive Ramalon came RIGHT up to the glass viewing windows - straight at me!
I am using a 70 - 300 mm telephoto lens with a minimum 1 metre focus distance, so I had to back away, in order to get any focus. As it is, I had the ISO cranked right up to 800, as Ramalon was never still, and the light was so dark!
This is quite pleasing, really, as I had taken this hand-held, I was just about to put the camera away in the safety of a waterproof bag - when I heard the commotion, and saw Ramalon charging to the glass!
Here, he is millimetres back from the glass - I took a few other shots which aren't usable as his breath fogged the glass!
Ramalon is the magnificent ruling male Sumatran tiger, about 120Kg in weight, which is big for Sumatran tigers - the smallest surviving subspecies.
Royal Melbourne Zoo has a wonderful enclosure for the tigers - it is styled very much as Sumatran rainforest, with lots of trees, and even a pond to swim and play in.
Royal Melbourne Zoo staff are taking part in a proper preservation program for Sumatran wildlife - not just joining an international captive breeding program (although they do, and that is vital given the parlous state of Sumatran tigers in the wild) - they actively buy back land in Sumatra with the intent to rehabilitate the land as a wildlife preserve, to give animals such as the tiger and the Sumatran Orang-utan a chance to flourish again.
Royal Melbourne Zoo, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.