Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) in the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park in Binghamton, New York.
Nikon D7100/80-400VR, 1/200s, f/5.6, ISO 800, EV +0.3, 400mm (600mm DX) focal length.

Visited the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park in Binghamton, New York over the weekend. It is a small zoo and perfect for families with small children.  There are a couple of playgrounds and lots of picnic tables and pavilions.  The trail around the zoo is a little over a mile, is paved and takes you to the each of the zoo locations where the exhibits are.

As a photographer, the exhibits are small with only a couple of large ones where animals roam in a natural looking environment.  Of those two, the timber wolf was seen but too far away to photograph and the reindeer were off exhibit.  However, animals in cages speak to people differently.  To me, it is a reminder that if Man is not careful, zoos will be the only place to see animals in the future.

Red Pandas are endangered in the wild and rarely have successful births in cavity. On June 18, 2013, Binghamton Zoo welcomed Zhin-Li, a male cub, and who is on display with his mother at the zoo.

Zhin-Li, a young male Red Panda cub, at the Binghamton Zoo in Binghamton, New York.
Nikon D7100/80-400VR, 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO 3200, EV +0.3, 400mm (600mm DX) focal length.

The Cougar or Mountain Lion is a beautiful big cat.  I have rarely seen them in the zoos I have visited in North America.

Cougar (Puma concolor) in the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park in Binghamton, New York.
Nikon D7100/80-400VR, 1/200s, f/5.6, ISO 1800, EV +0.3, 400mm (600mm DX) focal length.

More Big Cats, the Amur or Siberian Tigers are also at the Binghamton Zoo.  They were most curious about their neighbor, a Leopard.  They would climb up some logs and look over into the leopard’s exhibit.  Gave me lots of opportunities to get portraits of these colorful creatures.

Amur or Siberian Tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) in the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park in Binghamton, New York.
Nikon D7100/80-400VR, 1/200s, f/5.3, ISO 3200, EV +0.3, 300mm (450mm DX) focal length.

A surprise animal as I had not seen a reference to them on the web when I was researching the Binghamton Zoo were the Bennett’s Wallabies from Australia.  The female was carrying a Joey in her pouch.

Female Bennett’s Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) carrying a Joey in her pouch in the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park in Binghamton, New York.
Nikon D7100/80-400VR, 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO 3200, EV +0.3, 400mm (600mm DX) focal length.

The Binghamton Zoo can be toured comfortably in a couple of hours.  However, one could make a day of it with a picnic lunch, fully enjoying the exhibits and taking a ride or two on the antique carousel (open seasonally).