March 3 is World Wildlife Day, in 2024 and every year. I'm celebrating it this year with a video slideshow of some of my favourite wildlife photos (and yes, I consider insects to be wildlife). It’s primarily a slide show, nothing too fancy. I decided to put the photos to one of my original songs, Git Along, since I already own the copyright. It wasn't written specifically with nature conservation in mind, but if the tune fits…
Link to the video is at the bottom.
I've always been an animal lover. For nature photographers, amateur and professional, and for nature lovers in general there is nothing quite like the experience of a wildlife encounter, especially in the wild.
I’ve been fortunate to visit the San Diego Zoo several times and they do some great work there. My first visit years ago was an inside look tour, they took us through the food preparation area, with all the menus and feeding times posted on the walls – some very diverse diets! It is still a zoo, of course, but credit is due for striking a balance between science and conservation.
Kids who might not otherwise get close-up to wildlife can also enjoy the smaller zoos and farm markets closer to their homes. Most of those I’ve visited seem to care for their animals and it’s enjoyable family time. I’ve also been to some places that keep animals in less than humane confinement, mostly for entertainment and shows. I have to admit those shows were fun to watch at the time, but our thinking has changed over the years.
I’m fortunate now, to have a wildlife compound of sorts right in our own backyard and nearby woodlot. There’s no doubt my photography hobby was enhanced by watching all the birds and critters that pass by. We’ve also added some trail cams to our wildlife watching, and those capture animals that never show themselves, likely for the best.
When it comes to looking a non-human creature in the eye, there are lots of opinions and good advice that says – don’t do it. Looking an animal in the eye can be taken as a threat or simply a disturbance. Then there’s the idea called “eye-to-eye epiphany”. Once you’ve experienced that, and I would call it a feeling of mutual trust, there’s nothing quite like it.
I’d like to think I’m smart enough to know when to gaze and when to quietly back away. I don’t have near the equipment of the pros, but I do use my telephoto lens to its best advantage when it comes to getting close to wildlife without much disruption.
These photos were taken over quite a few years. I didn’t have any great purpose in mind today other than preserving them for posterity, you tend to do that sort of thing when you get older.
If you get a few moments on this World Wildlife Day (or any other day) to have a look, I hope you enjoy it, and I thank you! And the animals thank you too! Happy World Wildlife Day!