Figure 1 is a photograph that I took at the San Diego zoo of a polar bear. For me it is a great exception. I don’t like to photograph at zoos. First, because it feels like a cheat, and second because I am ambivalent about zoos. The San Diego Zoo is a world leader in conservation of species and for the polar bear, whose habitat we are melting rapidly, this is essential. And also I have always, since I was a child, loved polar bears. The San Diego Zoo of 2023 is truly a far cry from the NYC Central Park Zoo of 1960. Back in those days there was always an aspect of gawking at the animals, which seemed subject to an attitude that “man has dominion over the animals.” Maybe that is it. I am pretty sure from documentaries that I’ve seen, that this polar bear, indeed any polar bear would eat me for lunch without giving it a second thought. One of my favorite Gary Larson cartoons comes from 1980 and shows two polar bears eating an igloo. One says to the other:

“Oh hey! I just love these things!… Crunchy on the outside and a chewy center!”.

Canon T2i with EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM lens at 340mm, 1/2500 th sec at f/7.1, ISO 800, Aperture Priority AE mode.