There are few things better in life than a thoughtful gift, especially when that gift involves fur, feathers, and 12,000 photos to sort through afterward. My delightfully wonderful girlfriend, who clearly knows my weaknesses (and how to keep me busy editing for weeks), surprised me with a photo tour at Aspen Wildlife Sanctuary in Ontario. And let me tell you, it was the perfect mix of heartwarming, hilarious, and humbling.
Aspen Wildlife is not your average “see-animals-behind-glass” kind of place. It’s a true sanctuary, a working haven that takes in hundreds of injured or orphaned wild animals every year. Their mission is to rehabilitate and release as many as possible back into the wild. Think of it as a wildlife ER meets summer camp: animals arrive scared, hurt, or hungry, and leave stronger, healthier, and ready to reclaim their independence. For those who can’t safely return to the wild, Aspen becomes their forever home. These residents get the kind of lifelong care and compassion every animal deserves, and it shows in how calm, curious, and well-loved they are.
The photo tour was led by Missy Mandel, a phenomenally talented wildlife photographer who also happens to be one of the kindest humans I’ve met. She’s the sort of person who can talk about aperture settings one minute and animal behavior the next, with the kind of enthusiasm that makes you want to throw away your phone and go live in the forest.
Now, the photography itself wasn’t without its challenges. Every photo was taken through fencing, since Aspen’s permanent residents live in large, enclosed habitats for their safety. Shooting through chain-link is a bit like trying to photograph through a cheese grater. Luckily, I came prepared with my trusty 300mm f/2.8, a lens so heavy it could double as gym equipment. (Nikon, feel free to release a new one! Its been almost 20 years now and Sony's is half the weight of yours!) The trick to shooting through fencing is all about proximity: you want your lens hood practically kissing the fence, minimizing reflections and flare from the shiny metal. Combine that with a wide aperture, and voilà the fence all but vanishes. It’s the optical equivalent of a magic trick. You will never get quite the same sharpness as if the fence wasn't there, but with some Photoshop magic the end result can be fantastic! If you don't own a massive 300 f/2.8, thats ok too, a 300 f/4 can also do quite well! Or even a 70-200 f/2.8.
Once the technical hurdles were sorted, the real fun began. Aspen has an incredible lineup of residents, a photographer’s dream team of fur, fangs, and feathers. The foxes were an huge highlight. There were several red foxes, a gorgeous silver fox (technically just a melanistic variety of red fox, but let’s not ruin the mystique), and a fluffy arctic fox who looked like a living snowball with attitude. Every one of them was bursting with personality, curious, energetic, and extremely interested in my camera gear. At one point, a red fox tilted its head and stared straight into my lens with that signature “what’s your deal, human?” look. I swear it was judging my autofocus settings.
And just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better, the wild decided to join in on the fun. While I was photographing Aspen’s bobcat enjoying his morning meal, an actual wild red fox appeared out of nowhere. Clearly drawn by the scent of food, it crept closer and closer, close enough for some fantastic shots before realizing the buffet was closed to uninvited guests. Watching a wild fox curiously approach while a bobcat watched on felt like something straight out of a nature documentary the kind that ends with David Attenborough whispering dramatically about “the tension of the moment.” In reality, though, I don't think the cat event slowed eating long enough to know he had a guest just outside the fence.
Then came the wolves, Aspen’s full pack of Grey Wolves, easily one of the most awe-inspiring groups of animals I’ve ever been near. They were curious, intelligent, and far more playful than I expected. One in particular kept trying to convince me play, in spite of the fence seperating us. There’s something deeply humbling about locking eyes with a wolf from a few feet away, the intensity, the intelligence, it’s like they’re looking right through you, evaluating your life choices, and silently judging your camera management.
And then there was Titan, the moose. Titan is young and absurdly friendly. So friendly, in fact, that he refused to stand far enough away for a single usable photo. Every time I tried to frame a shot, he’d lumber right up until all I could see through the viewfinder was a wall of brown fur and moose breath. At one point, I was half-convinced he was trying to take a selfie.
One thing I quickly realized: I’m not used to working with animals that actually stay in frame. I mostly photograph birds, which tend to exist in the general vicinity of your viewfinder for about 1.2 seconds before vanishing into the horizon. That’s why I love the 20 frames per second burst on my Nikon Z8, it’s overkill for this sort of shooting. But for this shoot? Let’s just say my trigger finger got a little enthusiastic. I came home with 12,000 photos. Yes, twelve thousand. My computer audibly groaned when I loaded them in.
Before wrapping up, I want to touch on the ethics of photographing captive wildlife. It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of close encounters and beautiful portraits, but responsibility has to come first. When it comes to photographing animals in human care, it’s absolutely essential to only visit facilities with stellar reputations, places like Aspen, where animal wellbeing is the top priority, not a marketing slogan. Always make sure you represent your images honestly, if an animal was photographed in captivity, say so. There’s no shame in it, and transparency helps keep public trust intact. And finally, perhaps most importantly, minimize your impact. Move quietly, keep your distance, and respect the animals’ space. The goal is to celebrate them, not stress them.
All in all, my day at Aspen Wildlife Sanctuary was nothing short of incredible. It reminded me why I love wildlife photography in the first place, the connection, the curiosity, and that rare feeling of awe that comes from standing a few feet from something wild. It’s not every day you get to be eyed suspiciously by a bobcat, outsmarted by a fox, invited to play by a wolf, and photobombed by a moose, all before lunch.
If you ever get the chance to visit Aspen, do it. Go learn, go photograph, go appreciate what real conservation looks like up close. Just make sure you bring extra memory cards and maybe a wide-angle lens, in case Titan decides to try to give you a hug.
