Cheetahs, which should not be confused with Leopards 
are large members of the cat family. They're unique for a couple reasons, they're the fastest land animal, and they lack the ability to climb.
The Oregon Zoo in Portland has a very nice Cheetah exhibit, with a natural looking enclosure. Unfortunately, all of the viewing areas are behind glass. This has the advantage of avoiding the problem of the cat mistaking a guest as dinner, but it has the disadvantage of having glare, smudges, and reflections that can make photography difficult. (See my other thread about my auto-focus having issues with either the Cheetah's spots and/or the glass.)
After doing some shopping in Portland, we decided to visit the zoo for the afternoon. We figured it wouldn't be too crowded, after all this is January, and it was already about 2:30 and the zoo closes at 5:00. Boy were we wrong! It took about 15 minutes to get a parking spot, the place was packed.
At the entrance to the zoo, I noticed a sign confirming what I already knew. The zoo train was shut down until spring for maintenance. Normally, this would deter me from visiting, but we have a season pass, and my wife told me that she had heard that they actually have animals there too as well as having a railroad. I figured this was a good time to investigate that rumor... (OK, I have actually seen the rest of the zoo before, but I will also freely admit that most of my zoo photography involves the trains.)
We decided to visit the new Africa section, since it had not been open the last time we visited. The lions are now back on display, as well as the Cheetah and several other animals I don't recall at the moment.
are large members of the cat family. They're unique for a couple reasons, they're the fastest land animal, and they lack the ability to climb. The Oregon Zoo in Portland has a very nice Cheetah exhibit, with a natural looking enclosure. Unfortunately, all of the viewing areas are behind glass. This has the advantage of avoiding the problem of the cat mistaking a guest as dinner, but it has the disadvantage of having glare, smudges, and reflections that can make photography difficult. (See my other thread about my auto-focus having issues with either the Cheetah's spots and/or the glass.)
After doing some shopping in Portland, we decided to visit the zoo for the afternoon. We figured it wouldn't be too crowded, after all this is January, and it was already about 2:30 and the zoo closes at 5:00. Boy were we wrong! It took about 15 minutes to get a parking spot, the place was packed.
At the entrance to the zoo, I noticed a sign confirming what I already knew. The zoo train was shut down until spring for maintenance. Normally, this would deter me from visiting, but we have a season pass, and my wife told me that she had heard that they actually have animals there too as well as having a railroad. I figured this was a good time to investigate that rumor... (OK, I have actually seen the rest of the zoo before, but I will also freely admit that most of my zoo photography involves the trains.)
We decided to visit the new Africa section, since it had not been open the last time we visited. The lions are now back on display, as well as the Cheetah and several other animals I don't recall at the moment.
