Bronx Zoo

[severine]

If you have kids and you live in the area, go. We went to the Beardsley Zoo for my daughter's 1st birthday and I'll never go back. The Bronx Zoo, however...I could go every week. We went for my daughter's 4th birthday last month and got a membership, so theoretically, we could go every week. But in all seriousness, I took the kids yesterday and we had a great time--and still haven't seen the entire zoo! Here are some highlights (all rights reserved on these photos, thanks).

Polar bear was asleep when we first saw him:

The kids on one of the caterpillars in front of the Butterfly Garden:

Butterfly Garden

Flamingo fight

Wolf's monkey

Gorilla

Pea Hen

Lion

Polar Bear sequence...

 

[o3jeff]

The Bronx zoo is awesome!

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

nice zoo...stoke..I've never hit the Bronx zoo but it's on my list..

 

[RootDKJ]

I went to the Philly zoo a few years back, that was good fun...and animal kingdom at disney. I've always wanted to hit the Bronx Zoo..but haven't done it.

Awesome pics!

 

[andyzee]

Bronx zoo is great been there quite a few times and never disappointed. Great pics!

 

[severine]

Thanks! I considered leaving the camera at home to travel lightly--the Canon 10D with zoom lens isn't light--but I'm glad I changed my mind. It was worth the weight.

 

[WoodCore]

Great pictures Carrie! Thanks!

Regardless, on a side note I'm curious if this Gondola still exists at the zoo? http://www.chairlift.org/bronxzoo.html

If so was it operating? .

 

[severine]

They removed the skyfari. The towers are still there, but the ride itself is dismantled. That's a shame because I would have liked to go on that.

 

[bvibert]

Great pictures Carrie! Thanks!

Regardless, on a side note I'm curious if this Gondola still exists at the zoo? http://www.chairlift.org/bronxzoo.html

If so was it operating? .

Like Carrie said it's not there anymore. When we were there I saw the drive terminal that looked very much intact (it may have been the return terminal now that I think of it) and one of the nearby towers which had now sheaves on it. Obviously with no sheaves there was no haul rope either. I'm not sure what the story is, but it looks like they're dismantling it to me.

 

[SkiDork]

the story is it got stuck last summer and the riders were sitting there for a few hours. I guess that was intolerable for a zoo, as opposed to a ski area

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/nyregion/11skyfari.html?_r=1

 

[severine]

Why did it take so long for them to evac? There weren't that many cars--it should have happened much faster than that. Guess they didn't have a good plan in place.

 

[o3jeff]

Why did it take so long for them to evac? There weren't that many cars--it should have happened much faster than that. Guess they didn't have a good plan in place.

IIRC I think some parts of it went over the animals so I assume they need to turn it to evac people and depending on the problem they had that day, if they couldn't turn it that would explain some delay.

 

[severine]

Wasn't thinking about that added aspect to the rescue. Duh. Still, they have a large staff and the park closes around 5:30PM on weekends during the summer (5PM on weekdays so I'm assuming this was a weekend). They should have had ample help to make this happen in less time.

 

[Dr Skimeister]

We rode the gondola at the Bronx Zoo on a visit there last spring. It certainly was an antique. I wonder if it didn't have many of the same safety and evacuation contingencies built into it that pods at ski areas have.

It did indeed go over several animal enclosures.

 

[bvibert]

the story is it got stuck last summer and the riders were sitting there for a few hours. I guess that was intolerable for a zoo, as opposed to a ski area

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/nyregion/11skyfari.html?_r=1

That explains it, thanks for the info.

 

[tarponhead]

nice zoo...stoke..I've never hit the Bronx zoo but it's on my list..

Perfect low key chick date

 

[WJenness]

Once again, Sev comes through with some awesome pics...

Glad you guys had a good time...

-w

 

[severine]

I love posting pics for you guys. When I post them on the photography forums, they just get ripped apart. But you all love them.

Apparently I need to work on my depth of field (the polar bear shots being where I received that comment). The first polar bear shot I should have paid more attention to the framing, too, since that reflection would have been a nice component if I managed to capture all of it. It's a learning process but a fun one!

 

[WJenness]

I can see the reflection comment, because that is a pretty neat component... I still think the picture looks great though... and I don't understand what 'depth of field' really means.

-w

 

[severine]

I can see the reflection comment, because that is a pretty neat component... I still think the picture looks great though... and I don't understand what 'depth of field' really means.

-w

In the end, it determines how much of the picture is in focus. You want the subject to be in focus and the background somewhat to totally blurred so the eye goes right to the subject of the photo (and it makes a photo less "busy" as well). With the polar bear shots, the entire picture is in focus--the experts tell me I should have adjusted the camera so that only the bear was in focus. I would have lost the cool water droplets shot if I did that. But they are right. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don't. I rely a lot on auto settings when I'm with the kids so I'm just happy any of the pics came out at all! You should have seen me trying to keep my son from picking the flowers (and butterflies!) while I was taking shots in the butterfly garden! Eek! :lol: