Edinburgh Zoo (Again)
As much as I love when my mum drives up to collect me from university, I sometimes can't help but feel guilty that she comes all the way up to Stirling only to stuff all of my worldly possessions in the car, turn around again and drive right back home with me. Of course we make sure to see a lot of family on the way down each time we do the drive but my guilt was assuaged this time around as she had decided to extend her visit for a few days so we could do a mini-road trip.
First on our list was another trip to Edinburgh Zoo! This was my second visit to the zoo as I had gone back in March with my Animal Behaviour class, but was my mum's first time.
Thanks to the guided tours we got as a part of the module, I was able to spout of interesting facts about the chimpanzees and other primates.
The weather did however present a challenge for me. Back in March, we visited on a very overcast and rainy day which meant shooting indoors wasn't a problem. The gloriously sunny day this time around had my telephoto lens struggling but I managed to nab some good shots.
We saw as many animals as we possibly could but what was wholly unexpected was when we got to the penguin enclosure.
Baby penguins.
Baby penguins hatching.
This little guy couldn't have been any more than a few hours old.
He tried his hardest to climb up over a pebble but eventually gave up, entirely exhausted.
How many people can say they witnessed a baby gentoo penguin hatch from its shell?! I always love going to zoos but this was absolutely the cherry on the cake! While it isn't all that eventful or exciting compared to other things I've written about on my blog, this moment felt very special and I doubt I'll ever forget it. Seeing this little guy struggle in his stony nest just reminds you how fragile life is and how easily it can be affected by our actions.
Edinburgh Zoo | St Andrews
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