not sure exactly what kind of beastie this is... i was mostly very good about taking note of which animals were which, but seem to have missed the name of this one... possibly it's the white handed gibbon...
@summerfield and i spent 7+ hours wondering around the Toronto zoo today... i have 1000+ shots to wade thru, so expect to see more from today... possibly even (gasp) some in colour...
He does look sad, bet we'd look sad too locked in a cage/enclosure. The saddest thing is that he's much safer in a good zoo these days than in his native habitat.
I have mixed emotions about animals in zoos and cages, They may very well be safer than in their 'destroyed' natural habitat, and if children get to see and understand the animals up close then maybe there is hope that as adults they will support the protection of the natural environment. Still sad the wild animals' freedom is so restricted though. A very moving image for sure.
@northy Because they are our cousins behind bars. The zoo part doesn't bother me so much, it is that we are so closely related. There is only an approximate 1.2% difference between human DNA and that of chimps. http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics. Still, it hasn't stopped me from photographing them in the past, either. :-/.
@kiwinanna agreed... although the Toronto zoo is a pretty nice place with the enclosures being quite large and open where possible - it is still captivity... but i do think they are doing a lot of work to preserve at risk species...
@rosiekerr well - i suppose Planet of the Apes is the cautionary tale there... i expect though, that that is why i find them so photogenic... they seem quite relatable...
@rosiekerr well - i suppose Planet of the Apes is the cautionary tale there... i expect though, that that is why i find them so photogenic... they seem quite relatable...