I’ve mentioned a few times that I gave up on wildlife photography early on in my photography career. Most of the animal photography I’ve done since then is in zoos – not counting the occasional squirrel, of course! When I lived in Ljusdal, I used to visit Järvzoo quite often. Since I moved to Loos, the visits have been few and far in between. In fact, today was only my second visit in over 3 years.

One of the highlights of any Järvzoo visit is the wolves. Usually when I visit Järvzoo, I make sure to get to the wolves well before the feeding time. There’s a lot of activity going on while they wait for the grub, but now I found the whole thing oddly unsatisfying. There’s a whole new pack of wolves, but I recognised the behaviour patterns immediately. And why not… it’s just typical wolf behaviour. Typical wolf behaviour, for captive wolves. I must admit that I felt sorry for them. They are magnificent animals, they should be running free and not kept in a cage. But that’s the whole zoo debate. Should we or should we not cage wild animals?

I’ve always felt that we should have zoos. They serve two purposes – first and foremost, conservation. And secondly, it’s the only chance most people ever have to see these wild species. And the second point actually also counts towards conservation. People need to be educated. Trying to protect these same animals completely in the wild is just simply not realistic. Take the wolf for example. We have resident wolves in this area, and there’s a constant debate whether or not we should have them. People take any excuse to shoot them legally, and if they don’t get a permit, then they shoot them illegally. Only thing that helps is that a new generation grows up, with appreciation for the wild and the will to co-exist. A visit to the zoo, and a chance to see the wolves close-up, goes a long way to convince the kids that wolves are not the beasts their parents claim they are.

The way the world is today, zoos are needed. They are the Noah’s Ark. And despite it – or maybe it’s actually just because of it? – a wild animal in a cage is just wrong.

End of rant, and back to my visit. While I was standing in front of the wolf enclosure, I got a bit disheartened. I already had a bunch of pictures, and zero inspiration to get any more. On my way back, a lynx caught my attention though. It seemed so content to lie there up on the cliff, in the sun, lazily watching the people passing by. I’ve seen my share of stress behaviour in captive animals (shame on the zoos!), but this was one cool cat that seemed quite content with the circumstances. It lifted my spirits, but I can’t help but feel that this was my last visit to Järvzoo – or any zoo, for that matter. My head says yes, and my heart says no.

I think I will stick to the squirrels now.