Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus, Ohio

ANUBIS BABOON -- 1985
This juvenile looks like a little elf with his pointed ears.

ARABIAN CAMEL -- 1982
No matter the species, kids do the darndest things and inevitably find a way to get into trouble. Like all moms, this mother puts up with her child's antics.

CATERPILLAR -- 1986
Many animal species rely on camouflage for protection. This caterpillar is actually headed down. His tail looks like a head to distract predators and perhaps allow him to escape with a non-fatal injury.

CHEETAH -- 1986

GREVY ZEBRA -- 1984
My assignment this day was to shoot "specimen" photos for new signage. This zebra was much too curious to allow me to take the full figure shot I wanted, so I took the shot that was available. If you can't lick 'em, join 'em. The photo was later used as the cover for the zoo's trifold handout.

HERMIT CRAB -- 1986
The hermit crab carries his house on his back -- literally. He will change homes as he grows, and will usually try on several before deciding on one he likes. He doesn't run away when frightened, but at the first alarm, he'll withdraw into his "house" and slam the door shut by covering the opening with his large claw, leaving nothing to be photographed except an unremarkable seashell.

LOWLAND GORILLA -- 1988
Oscar appears here as a silverback, the dominant adult male in a family of 8 or 10 gorillas. Looking at another gorilla directly is impolite in gorilla society, so Oscar is following proper gorilla etiquette by looking at me (and my camera) sideways. I loved working with the gorillas and photographed Oscar and his family many times over the years. Eventually he concluded that my telephoto lens was staring at him and that I should be taught a lesson in manners. Thereafter, whenever I appeared he would gather up handfuls of dirt and feces and lob them at me -- very accurately. The twin juveniles shown with keeper Beth Armstrong in 1984, were the sons of Oscar and Bridgette, a female on loan from the Omaha Zoo.

MARINE ANGELFISH -- 1989
Angelfish come in many patterns, colors and sizes besides the small black and silver variety that is popular in home aquariums. Aquarium photography presents a special set of problems. Every glass and water surface reflects every light source (often multiple times), and your subject rarely stays still. If he does rest quietly for a time, he almost always hides behind a piece of coral. When everything does come together, you are rewarded with the glowing jewel tones on this blue and white striped variety, and you feel a little like David Doubilet.

RED TAILED HAWK -- 1989
This hawk can be found throughout the eastern United States, usually soaring high in the skies, searching for mice, voles and other small animals for supper. They also perch on tall trees and freeway light poles, much too high to be easily photographed. This specimen was brought to the zoo with an injured wing, and was used for a time in educational seminars, making him quite amenable to sitting still for this "studio shot".

SAURUS CRANE -- 1986
STAGHORN BEETLE -- 1986

WHITE BENGAL TIGER -- 1985
True White Tigers are not albinos, but an aberrant coloration resulting from a rare recessive gene in the orange Bengal Tiger. They occur naturally only once in every 10,000 births. Taj was hand raised by Columbus Zoo Director Jack Hanna and his wife, Suzy. Taj made many national television appearances with Jack and gained lasting notoriety when he found Suzy's wedding rings sparkling on the coffee table one day and decided they looked good enough to eat. It was a few days before everything came out okay and the rings could be recovered. Even when used to humans, wild animals remain "wild". Taj was still a baby when this photo was taken, but it still required most of one very hot and humid August afternoon, 3 keepers, several rolls of film, and a generous supply of band-aids and iodine.

Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, Indiana

Scioto Downs, Columbus, Ohio

Toledo Zoological Society, Toledo, Ohio