Exotic Feline Rescue Center-Centerpoint, IN

[howboucha]

Pathfinder and I toured around Owen and Clay County (Indiana) on Sunday, and stopped by the Exotic Feline Rescue Center (EFRC) in Centerpoint, IN.

Our original plan was to have a look-see to prepare for a day of shooting. But we were given the first class tour (after paying the admission of course) and took a few snapshots. It is a challenge because of the fence, and the fact that as soon as you see one of the cats tail raise up, you better run. yep, they aim right at you and spray.

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[Giphsub]

beautiful animals, aren't they! Nice set.

[pathfinder]

It was a great day, Brendan. We got to see lots of neat stuff.

The tour at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center was a bit overwhelming. The brochure lists 4 leopards, 3 bobcats, 2 servals, 15 pumas, 28 lions, and 54 tigers. These are just the animals on the display route, not the total animals in the center. The founder says the EFRC houses 1/4 of all the large cats in all the zoos combined in the USA. That is astounding.

I read a post here on dgrin, a year or so ago, describing a mathematical technique (software) to remove chain link fencing from images, but I'll be darned if I can find it no matter how I seem to search. If any reader remembers it, I would greatly appreciate the link.

Shallow DOF will not work in this situation as the cats are not removed from the plane of the wire, but directly against it as this photo of Joe demonstrates

http://Pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/222983220-L.jpg

I can get the lens of a G9 through the wire, but not most SLR lenses, and these cats deserve the best images we can capture.

Shooting here is more really more like PJ shooting, than wildlife, as things happen very quickly, last briefly,and then are gone. And as Brendan says, you have to keep your other eye out the whole time, because some of these cats seem to take a real pleasure in marking their territory outside their containment with their urine. The center sells a t-shirt proclaiming " I got pee'd on at the EFRC!!" And they aren't kidding either!

The animals all look in the peak of health, and very well fed. They consume 3,000 pounds of meat a day...... Thats a lot of cows, deer, horses, and chickens. A whole lot of them.

The cats are Really Impressive when viewed at arms length!! These are not shots with long telephotos - my longest lens was 105mm.

http://Pathfinder.smugmug.com/photos/222985545-L.jpg

[ShepsMom]

Beautiful, i live right next to the Big Cat Habitat, they have shows in the Fall. Those cats are gorgeous! It's a shame that they have to be rescued. :cry