Joyce Lopez Blog

Two of my Series were awarded prizes in the PX3 PRIX DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE PARIS competition with entries from 83 countries.

Zoos. I have very mixed feelings about zoos.  However, after reading a recent article that stated that 1/4 of all today’s living mammals will become extinct in the near future I now see zoos as conservators of their diverse collections of wildlife.  For many of these specimens, it is their only chance of survival with selective breeding and genealogical record keeping preventing in-breeding.  By exhibiting these exceptional creatures, the public is educated about the importance of saving these magnificent creatures that are harbingers of their fate as well as our own existence on earth.

Having the chance to observe and study these specimens, I am grateful that these animals and birds have given their lives to being in captivity.  Most likely, I would not have had a chance to watch them due to their indigenous location and distance.  Looking into the eyes of a gorilla or a Francois Langur monkey, reaching out with an open hand that I mirror on the other side of the glass partition, is a connection that touches deeply.

Without these repositories of living creatures, our world would be lacking the experience of remembering, recognizing and celebrating these individuals.