Life with Dylan

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  • A Little Bundle of Joy Joins the San Diego Zoo Safari Park Family

    Last weekend Dylan and I had the pleasure of watching the gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for quite some time. I am still amazed at how human-like these animals are … and just like humans, sometimes births can be complicated. Thankfully, Imani and her newborn daughter had top-notch care.

    Baby Girl Gorilla
    Photo taken on Mar. 13, 2014, by Tammy Spratt, San Diego Zoo Safari Park

    According to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, 18-year-old gorilla, Imani, gave birth to a baby girl yesterday, on March 12th, around 6:30 p.m. at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Imani showed signs of labor yesterday morning and was closely observed by animal care and veterinary staff. By evening, she showed no signs of progress and was transported to the Safari Park veterinary hospital for an emergency c-section. 
    The full-term baby, weighing 4.6 pounds, was delivered by a team of San Diego Zoo Global staff and outside consultants, including a veterinary surgeon and human neonatal specialists from UCSD Medical Center. The baby is showing some complications believed to be related to the difficult labor, and she is currently in intensive care receiving oxygen and supplemental fluids at the veterinary hospital. Imani is recovering from surgery in the familiar surroundings of the gorilla bedroom area. 
    This video of the delivery brought tears to my eyes. Such a beautiful moment captured here.
    As with humans, the decision to perform an emergency c-section is not something doctors take lightly. However, when the mother or unborn baby appear to be in distress, a c-section can mean the difference between life and death.
    “In retrospect the c-section was the right decision,” Nadine Lamberski, associate director
    of veterinary services at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park said of the newborn gorilla. “We think the health of the fetus would have been compromised if we delayed the surgery any longer” Lamberski said. 
    1-day-old baby girl gorilla with Safari Park keeper Jennifer Minichino and Dr. Jack Allen
    Photo taken on Mar. 13, 2014, by Tammy Spratt, San Diego Zoo Safari Park
    Like I said, just last Saturday we were watching Imani walk around the gorilla exhibit and eat lunch with the rest of her troop. She was so cute with her round baby belly. One of the gorilla keepers told us that she was due any day. We are sending lots of positive thoughts to Imani and her daughter in hopes of a speedy recovery from surgery and a healthy start for this precious new life.
    This is the first baby for Imani and the 17th
    gorilla to be born at the San Diego Zoo Safari
    Park. The Safari Park is home to eight gorillas, including the new baby. There are four females: Vila, Kamilah, Kokamo, and Imani;two young males: Monroe, born at the Safari Park in 2011, and Frank, born at the San Diego Zoo in 2008; and adult male Winston, the silverback leader of the troop.

  • A day of exploring the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

    Over the weekend Dylan and I went to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for a little adventure of our own. No meet-ups with other photographers, no special event, just a day to explore and have fun. This past weekend was quite warm, but we have been missing our animal friends at the Safari Park so we prepared ourselves for the heat and ventured out to Escondido.

    Of course our first stop is always the rhino statue with an obligatory photo. It’s kind of a tradition now.

    Nairobi Station is always fun to visit and even more so when the kids from Conservation Corps are there teaching kids about endangered animals. Whether it’s touching an ivory elephant tusk, seeing a giraffe vertebrae, or sizing up your hand to a gorillas hand … there is always something new to learn.

    Next stop, more adventure … and it looks like Dylan has the right of way!

    We had so much fun exploring and seeing our friends. We saw Wally the blue-tongued skink with her keeper and and Izu or favorite lion relaxing in the shade. We took a tram ride through Asia and Africa and saw Nola the Northern White rhino standing in the water. This pretty much made our day and I would have been fine going home. Any day seeing Nola is a great day!

    Luckily we continued our adventure and got to spend some time with the gorillas while they were having lunch. Winston is such a character, Frank and Monroe had us laughing, and Imani has got to be the cutest pregnant gorilla ever. The keeper said she’s due any day now!

    Tiger exhibit is completely closed off now because of the final stages for Tiger Trail … we have really missed seeing the tigers at the Safari Park, but know they are going to love their new home. Just a few more months and Tiger Trail will be open. An adventure without cats isn’t very fun, especially when you are a big cat lover like we are. Thankfully Ken and Dixie were out to share their cuteness with the world. I can’t believe how big they have gotten. (Pictures coming soon)

    So much to see and so much to explore.

    A day at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is always an adventure! 

  • Photographing Big Cats: Spotlight Snow Leopards

    A few weeks ago I headed down to the San Diego Zoo with one goal – to get some fantastic pictures of the big cats. I love watching the leopards and jaguars, but have never had much luck getting decent pictures of them.

    Up until recently I had been using a Canon Power Shot SX150 IS, which is a great camera and gave me some amazing photographs, even award-winning photographs. However, I wanted more. I wanted to get those amazing images that my friends were capturing. Last December I bought myself a Canon EOS Rebel T3 and I’ve had a blast experimenting with the settings. This particular day I used my 75-300mm lens and was finally able to capture the cats in a way like never before.

    Meet Beau, the Snow Leopard

    Snow leopards are endangered and need our help. They have thick luxurious fur that is 5 inches thick to help protect them from the extreme cold temperatures of their natural habitat in the mountain ranges of Central Asia.

    Their thick tail is used for balancing while climbing the rocky cliffs of the Himalayas.

    One of the things I love about photographing wildlife is that it gives me another avenue to use when connecting with my readers. Sometimes it is the picture that tells the story and captures the heart more than the words.

    Sadly, these beautiful animals are rarely seen in the wild. Visit SnowLeopardTrust.org and find out how you can help to save these beautiful cats.

  • Dian Fossey continues to spark a love for mountain gorillas

    I have never known anyone, let alone a child, who had such passion for something. Such a strong desire to learn everything they possibly could, and then still want to learn more. That is, until my son Dylan.

    While researching topics for his new business, Dylan’s Animal Adventures, we came across an article about Dian Fossey. He asked me who she was and wanted to know more about her and her work with the mountain gorillas. I suggested we watch the movie Gorillas in the Mist together. The outcome was not what I expected.

    The interest was there. The understanding of what was happening during the movie was there. The concept that this was based on a true story was there. And the heart of a little boy who desperately wants to save all the animals was there when Digit was killed by poachers. The tears were flowing. It was real for him. No longer a movie, but a real animal that had been taken from this world, from his family.

    Dylan did not want to watch the rest of the movie, but I encouraged him to watch and to see the wonderful work that Dian Fossey did for the mountain gorilla species.

    After the movie ended I asked him what he thought of Gorillas in the Mist.

    He said awesome.

    What do you think about Dian Fossey?

    She was wonderful. She really loved the gorillas and they loved her.

    How did the movie make you feel?

    It makes me want to do even more for the mountain gorillas now.

    Yes, Dian Fossey, 28 years after your passing, you are still an inspiration and an advocate for the mountain gorillas. Your passion will live on in those like you and we will continue to fight for your mountain, for your gorillas, and for Digit.

    To learn more about Dian Fossey, there is a wonderful article from the National Geographic archives that you can read here.

  • When a camera lens meets a tree, the result is magical

    I recently spent several hours, ok maybe an entire day, clearing out all 2,000 plus pictures from my iPhone and putting them on Flickr for storage. As daunting as this task was, it was also a wonderful trip down memory lane. Some pictures made me happy and and others made me long for days gone by and friends that are no longer with us.

    One thing that I noticed was how much I love pictures of trees. Why did I stop taking pictures of trees? I need to take more tree pictures. There is something about capturing a tree that is so magical.

    Changing seasons against the fall sky at sunset 
    Things are looking up – Springtime is here 
    Greeting the day with a beautiful sunrise  

    The barren trees of winter
    and the magical tree that comes to life at sunset

    The time of year does not matter. Winter, spring, summer, or fall. What matters is that your camera lens takes the time to meet a tree. To capture the beauty of a tree and to watch the magic come to life when the two become one.

  • Why do you do what you do?

    Do you ever ask yourself this question? Do you ever wonder what makes you make the choices you make?

    Last week someone asked me why I still have this blog and I was speechless. Um, what do you mean by “still”? Was there a reason I should have stopped that I am not aware of? I sat for a minute and pondered the question. Why do I have this blog?

    Well, as the name of my blog says, Life with Dylan Inspires me to see the world a little differently than I did before. So I guess this is where someone could use the word, still.

    Yes, the subject matter of my blog changed a few years ago, but that is because my muse changed. What inspires me to write and to share changed. So why do I continue?

    I am a writer – and writers need to write. I am a photographer – and photographers need to share their pictures.

    As a conservationist, I have a passion for saving the world. Can one person save the world? Probably not, but one person can make a difference … and I intend to do just that by creating awareness. Whether one person or a hundred people read what I write does not matter to me. What does matter to me is that the people who do read my blog are inspired in some small way to make a difference of their own.

    Maybe I will inspire someone to start recycling, or to make that photography hobby a way to share the world with others. Maybe I will teach someone about an endangered animal and maybe, just maybe they will share what they learned. You see, sharing is the foundation of creating awareness.

    I write because I want to share. I share what I am passionate about.

    Writing and taking pictures makes me happy.

    So, back to the question. Why do I do what I do?

    Because it makes me happy.

  • Watching Mother Nature

    Have you ever watched Mother Nature? Have you ever sat in pure amazement at what she holds in her hands?

    If you are like me, then you probably need to continually remind yourself to take the time. The time to watch nature … because nature is all around us and does not stop for our busy lives.

    A few weeks ago Dylan told me about a hummingbird nest at my parents house; so of course I had to see for myself and take a picture. Holding my phone as close to the nest as possible without touching the branch was a nerve-racking experience. I did not want to disturb the nest, nor did I want the nest to fall.

    Mother hummingbird was fluttering around the patio and watching my every move. I quickly went inside the house and let her get back to her eggs.

    About 10 days later we were at my parents house again. Yep, I had to take another picture. I was anxious to see what miracle Mother Nature had performed when I was not looking.
    The eggs had hatched!

    The baby hummingbirds were so tiny. Yes, I realize they are hummingbirds and hummingbirds are tiny, but these were babies. They didn’t even have their eyes open yet! Again, I only stayed long enough to take a picture and then went back to the house.

    Today was exactly one week later and this is what I saw …

    Eyes open. Feathers coming in. Beaks growing.
    These two are looking more and more like little hummingbirds. Sitting snug in the nest, it was almost like the stopped for a moment to pose for the picture. Either that, or they froze fearing that I was going to harm them.

    From inside the house we could see the mom zipping around. She is very cautious and very aware of her surroundings. If she senses anything or anyone is watching her, she will not go to the nest. She flies up, down, and all around the tree as if to cover her tracks before landing to feed her babies.

    Taking the time to watch this family grow has reminded me of the miracles that happen every day. The miracle of life. Like I said before, Mother Nature does not stop to wait for us. She keeps going on while we are busy making plans. I am not saying what you and I do is unimportant. However, I am saying that taking the time to watch nature will make your life that much better.

  • Dylan’s Animal Adventures are now available – Come join the fun!

    What could be better than hosting your very own summer camp and teaching kids about saving endangered species? Well, for a 10-year-old boy who loves animals, not much … unless you ask him if he wants to start his own business so that he can teach more kids.

    For Dylan, this was exactly what happened. For the last few months we have been busy planning, researching, writing, and creating. The result of our combined efforts … Dylan’s Animal Adventures. 

    Dylan chooses the topic for each new booklet and then does the research so that only the most current information is shared. Michelle writes all the content and designs the adventure guides with kids in mind. Thanks to an amazing graphic artist, Steph Calvert of Hearts and Laserbeams, each adventure has new animal friends that you won’t find anywhere else.

    Dylan’s Animal Adventure Guides are a fun way to explore and learn more about endangered species, conservation, and making a difference.

    All adventure guides come with a set of coordinating coloring pages. Perfect for parents, grandparents, homeschooling parents, teachers, and anyone who just loves learning more about animals!

    So what are you waiting for? 

    Support Dylan’s passion and get your Original Adventure Guide today at

  • Did you know animals celebrate Valentines Day too?


    They give hippo size kisses …
    and mountain gorilla hugs …

    and koala size snuggles. 
    Happy Valentines Day!



  • What season is it again?

    Living in Southern California I have become accustomed to not having real seasons. This doesn’t mean that I am complaining about the beautiful weather we have, but I do wish we had just a tad more authentic fall and winter days. Aside from the desperate need for rain, Southern Californians get way to excited about a little rainfall. Less than inch of rain is a big deal.

    Rain clouds? We love those too.

    Why?

    Well, you see, a few rain clouds against a blue sky after the rain in Southern California make for the most beautiful pictures. So I guess I will take the spring-like winter days if it means I have views like this. However, I would like to experience the snow in winter just once.

    What is winter weather like where you live?