ABU DHABI If you are an aspiring wildlife photographer then here’s your chance to show your mettle. Al Ain Zoo’s annual photography and videography competition is calling young enthusiasts to take their best shots and videos of arid land, wildlife and their zoo experience until the end of May.
With a focus on capturing animal behaviour and thanks to improvements in camera phone technology, anyone can enter the competition without the need for expensive equipment. Not just budding and amateur photographers but even professional cameramen and videographers have the opportunity to showcase their creativity through six categories that form this year’s main ‘Zoography’ photo competition - ‘At Play’, ‘Snackattack!’, ‘At Rest’, ‘Friendship’, ‘Poser’, and the zoo’s answer to Selfies – ‘Zoofies’!
Need to conserve
“This year, new categories were added to the competition, which gives us a great opportunity to further communicate our conservation efforts, and reward those who help us put these efforts in a picture. The launch of the new Photographer of the Year awards will help further establish Al Ain Zoo’s leading role in the topic of Arid Land Wildlife, bringing to life the beauty we need to conserve, and the challenges such life faces in today’s world,” said Muna Al Dhaheri, Chief of Conservation and Education at Al Ain Zoo.
New for 2015, the awards for ‘Arid Land Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ and ‘Junior Arid Land Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ are open to anyone.
Participants are required to submit photos of arid land species either in the wild, at the zoo, interacting with their natural habitats, or trying to adapt to the changing world.
The zoo has also launched ‘My Day at Al Ain Zoo Video Competition’ that coincides with the 10th anniversary of the first ever YouTube video “My Day at The Zoo” filmed at San Diego Zoo, one of Al Ain Zoo’s strategic partners. This category invites budding videographers to film their journey and best moments at the zoo.
The winning entries will be exhibited in the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre, due to open later this year, and also featured in the zoo’s 2016 calendar. The winners will be announced on 30 September, 2015.
For more information on the terms and conditions for each category, visit www.alainzoo.ae. Al Ain Zoo is open daily from 9am to 8pm until May 31.
The Competition Categories:
At Play: Animals enjoy their lives at Al Ain Zoo and whether it’s pulling funny faces or pulling pranks on one another, they brighten both their day and the zoo’s with their antics. Look out for when the zoo adds ‘enrichment’ activities to brighten their day.
Snackattack: Feeding time is most animal’s favourite time of the day, from a Crocodile’s snappy snacking to Lady the Gorilla foraging out her favourite seeds.
At Rest: Arid Lands are hot places and most of our animals are highly acclimatized to the weather. From digging a shallow hollow to lay in, to a flick of the tail animals take it easy and rest in the heat of day to keep themselves cool. Being in Al Ain, the green heart of the UAE, many animals enjoy the shade of the abundant plant life in the zoo.
Friendship: Look out especially for baby animals making friends or sharing family moments. You can also spot other more unusual friendships in the zoo in the mixed animal exhibits or snap a close encounter in the children’s petting zoo.
Poser: Humans aren’t the only ones to strut their stuff. From the birds on display in our bird and parrot shows, to the prowl of a leopard the zoo has plenty of attention seekers. From displays of plumage to flexing of muscles, in the animal kingdom survival of the fittest is often survival of the most fabulous.
Selfie: Put those reverse camera phones on, get out your selfie sticks, set your timers to get back in the picture and share online pictures with your favourite animals in the background.
For more information on the terms and conditions for each category, visit www.alainzoo.ae.
