Last year I went to a zoo on average once a month. In 2018 Artis was the first zoo I saw. So there are still quite a few visits to be made …
Artis is a beautiful old zoo. Beautiful old buildings. And Artis is busy giving the animals better housing, while the old buildings and the atmosphere remain. A good example is the building where I made the following two photos. The animals have a lot of room to move in old buildings, where on the inside walls and interior have been removed and more natural surroundings are created.
The first photo is a Pygmy marmoset. This is the smallest monkey breed in the world. They look a bit like small gremlins. They also behave a bit like that. They are tiny bullies, but very cute!
![](https://anjawessels.photography/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_4240-copy-500x750.jpg)
This Chinese water dragon inhabited the same area. It is somewhat easier to photograph, because they sit nicely and is the perfect photo model.
![](https://anjawessels.photography/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_4256-copy-500x750.jpg)
Young animals in the zoo are always fun. These two meerkats were the center of the group with two other babies.
![](https://anjawessels.photography/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_4747-copy-750x500.jpg)
Another lucky moment was this young Somali giraffe. Just a few days old. It was his second day outside. what a beautiful sight.
![](https://anjawessels.photography/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_4658-copy-11-copy-750x500.jpg)
The aquariums are also very worthwhile. I used to visit that one with a school class for biology. It did not change much in the past 40 years. I often hang around at the lion devils for a long time. Hoping for a nice shot of these special fish.
![](https://anjawessels.photography/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_4570-copy-750x500.jpg)
At home, editing of the photos starts. I love that too. Some shots always end up in monochrome. Below 3 examples.
The 20-year-old male lion who lives with two daughters in Artis. He is getting old. His condition is not good, but they try to do everything to give him a good life.
![](https://anjawessels.photography/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_4640-copy-500x750.jpg)
A peacock. He was behind a fence, so I could not photograph the beautiful tail he showed. Color is beautiful, but I found the symmetry of the body with that stubborn headshot a beautiful picture too.
![Peacock](https://anjawessels.photography/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_4405-copy-200x300.jpg)
Finally, mother Somali giraffe. A beautiful lady and so enormously high. Fantastic!
![](https://anjawessels.photography/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/IMG_4662-copy-214x300.jpg)