Two young baboons in their enclosure in Bioparc Valencia, caught in a playful moment.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 120mm |
| ISO | 250 |
| Shutter speed | 1/250s |
Tag Archives: Bioparc Valencia
A Striped Antelope at Valencia Zoo
A young antelope stands in water at Bioparc Valencia, Spain.
The animal in the photo is a sitatunga, a type of antelope known for its semiaquatic lifestyle. Its splayed hooves help it walk easily through marshy and swampy habitats.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 205mm |
| ISO | 250 |
| Shutter speed | 1/1000s |
Graceful Flamingos by the Waterfall
Three flamingos at Bioparc Valencia, October 2023.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 1250 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
A Chimpanzee’s Afternoon Siesta
A Chimpanzee in the Bioparc in Valencia has a nap in a warm afternoon sunshine.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 1000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
All Stripes and Horns
A Bongo Antelope at Bioparc Valencia was relaxing under the shade when he looked behind at the humans visiting. The baboons in an enclosure nearby were getting most of the attention, though.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 160 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
A Rhino’s Reflection
A white rhino wanders near a pool of water in Bioparc Valencia, Spain.
In 2023, two rhinos arrived in the zoo and in December that year, they had the largest group of this threatened species in Spain. The biggest threat to them is, of course, humans who want to poach the animals for their horns in a misguided attempt to provide folk medicine.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 100 |
| Shutter speed | 1/125s |
A baboon resting on ropes
A young baboon pauses for a moment in grooming. I saw him at Bioparc Valencia in Spain last year.
| Aperture | ƒ/6.3 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 240mm |
| ISO | 1600 |
| Shutter speed | 1/500s |
The Gorilla in Valencia
A Western lowland gorilla from the Republic of the Congo sits on the ground outside a viewing area where humans gaze at him.
He lives in the Bioparc in Valencia, Spain, and I think his name is Mambie. He was born in 1991 and is a beautiful animal, but when we were there, he charged and rammed into the glass windows twice. The Wikipedia page for these gorillas describes that behaviour as stereotypic behaviour, or abnormal or compulsive behaviour. It’s easy to imagine that he’s not happy there, but he is hand reared, as he was born in a zoo. This life is all he knows. These animals are endangered, and there’s a population of 500 living in zoos worldwide.
I was sad to see him in captivity. Valencia Bioparc is small, compared to wildlife parks like Fota in Co Cork, but the larger animals had room to roam about. At least, as much room as a 10 hectare site will allow.
It is definitely worth going to visit if you’re in the city. Just don’t eat in the overpriced restaurant.
| Aperture | ƒ/3.5 |
| Camera | ILCE-7M3 |
| Focal length | 24mm |
| ISO | 1000 |
| Shutter speed | 1/60s |