For any photographer interested in wildlife photography, taking your camera into the wild is probably one of the most sought after opportunities. However, if you can’t justify the cost of a photo safari to Africa or a bird spotting journey to Costa Rica, a zoo is just about the best alternative. Fortunately, the greater Phoenix area is blessed with a number of zoos, aquariums, butterfly exhibits and wildlife sanctuaries. Wildlife World Zoo ranks at the top of that list.

I recently visited Wildlife World Zoo for the first time and was amazed at the scope of their exhibits. My major reason for visiting was to photograph the Cheetahs – a favorite big cat that my wife wanted to see and eventually paint (see her web site at: www.PamelaMangelsdorf.com/). I was not disappointed as you can see by the Cheetah photographs in this post. I’ve also included just a few of the many attractions that are photo worthy.

Wildlife World Zoo has Arizona’s largest collection of exotic animals with over 6000 individual animals representing more than 600 exotic and endangered species. For more information about this wonderful zoo, visit their web site at: www.wildlifeworld.com/. They also have an excellent aquarium for those of you interested in the underwater world. If you live in the Phoenix area you owe it to yourself to set aside a day to visit, If you’re planning a vacation in Phoenix, you need to include this facility on your itinerary. Click on any of the photos to enlarge them and start a slide show.