By way of the Columbus Zoo. Some of you wonderful readers live in Africa and get to see these magnificent animals roaming free and some of you have visited Africa. For the rest of us there are our local zoos. Our zoo here recently opened a wonderful area called Heart of Africa which consists of 43 acres of land where the animals can roam side by side…well, with some separations to make sure nobody eats their neighbor! Compared to being in even big cages or being let out to small yards this concept is wonderful. There is one large area that I like to call the arena where they let some of the animals out so that we humans can get a closer view of them and where they have educational moments like with the cheetah here.
They only have compatible animals in the “arena” at the same time – this day was the zebras and ostriches – and move them out to the big area when it’s time to bring in a new species. It was funny watching them try to herd out the ostrich sisters so that the cheetah could come in; the girls kept doubling back on them and one just refused to cooperate! If you ever find yourself in central Ohio I invite you to stop by and visit our zoo but make sure you’re wearing good walking shoes…it’s a lot of zoo!
Images by T.Dashfield Photography 
These are beautiful animals! Great shots Teri and the weather is perfect – it feels like they are in tropical country 🙂
These were taken last year in the early fall. I think the zoo did a great job on this area for the animals, thanks 🙂
Great photographs…I’d swear you were in Africa. THe concept of a larger area seems so much better than pens and cages. Kudos to Columbus.
Thanks. The concept was to make it as natural as possible for it being in Ohio and all 😉
Such majestic creatures…but keep them far away from me!
Awwwwww don’t you want to feed the giraffes? 😉
Well captured. not quite like I see them
Well yeah! You are in their backyard and not the other way around.
I visited this Zoo in the 90’s. I see a large improvement. Well-taken photos!
Thank you. It is so much more than what you saw last 🙂