Dudley Zoo

 

Nicey Nicey, Zoo Zoo... the last lot of pics from the Christmas hols, and another family trip out to an old childhood haunt, Dudley Zoo.  More beautiful cold clear weather, but so cold in fact that for much of the morning the zoo rather bore a resemblance to the Nicey Zoo from the Mighty Boosh, in that it was a zoo with no animals...

 

 

As the morning wore on and the sun got a bit stronger, the animals thankfully started emerging.

 

A lemur walk was a new feature since the last time I visited, meaning we were able to walk amongst the animals.

 

I always liked the tigers, and there is a nice observation window near their enclosure, and the above character obligingly posed, having photobombed a shot of the kids.

 

 

The zoo is set in the grounds of Dudley Castle, which is a landmark I always look for on the skyline in the Midlands.  Its just been a feature of so much of my life living there, but I've never really bothered to photograph it until now.

 

 

Lens-flare o-rama again in this light.  Also, annoyingly, visitors are no longer allowed to climb up the keep, which seems a shame.

 

 

All in all a nice day out.  I last visited the zoo in about 2006 for a photography project, and got quite depressed by how run-down it had got.  Pleasingly it seems to finally be getting funding, including the listed concrete architecture (identical to buildings in London Zoo, but where those buildings get funding, Dudley has spent decades waiting for money to restore the historically significant structures).  A keeper we spoke to was very pleased to talk about how the place is improving and gradually smartening up the enclosures, and I wish them every success.

 

Right, that's finally all the shots from the Christmas period.  Nice to have been able to get some shots done.  A few actual projects on the go at the moment, more info coming soon...