Our subscription to Zoo Planckendael was ending, so I decided to renew it during my lunch break yesterday. To be honest, I took a bit longer break than usual and arrived at the zoo around 11 AM. The weather was perfect, with beautiful light, and since I always have my trusty Nikon Z8 and some lenses with me, I decided to explore the zoo.
As soon as you walk in, you pass by the pelicans, who were posing perfectly for a group photo. I couldn't resist capturing their elegance. I then walked towards the Asia area and noticed the elephants behaving strangely. Climbing a hill, I heard sawing sounds and realized they were trimming some trees with a chainsaw. The elephants were clearly not fans of the noise. I managed to get a picture of the workers trimming the trees.
Continuing my walk, I headed to the lion enclosure and saw the caregiver just leaving with an empty bucket, indicating she had just hidden some food for the lions. Within a few minutes, the male lion rushed out, eagerly searching for the hidden treats. I stayed there for more than half an hour and got some fascinating shots of the lion's behavior.
I then walked onto the skybridge between the trees to get a better view of the tree trimmers. While there, I spotted a red panda high up in a tree, a delightful surprise. As I made my way towards the exit, I came across the bison, camels, and some storks. It seems the storks are already starting to build their nests.
The reason I needed to walk to the exit was that I had an online appointment at 1 PM with my boss for my yearly performance review, so I needed to rush home. I just made it home in time.
Overall, it was a wonderful day at Zoo Planckendael, filled with unexpected moments and great photo opportunities. I can't wait to share these images with you all.
Check my updated 2025 Zoo Planckendael album.
Equipment used for this shoot:
- Nikon Z8 + NIKON Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens
- Nikon Z8 + Nikon AF-S 85mm F1.8 G + Nikon FTZ II Adapter
- Tripod Head Gimbal
- Monopod Sirui P-326
- Tarion Pro PB-01 Backpack
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