Daniel Kukla photographs the murals designed by zookeepers to mimic the animals’ landscapes of origin:
Obviously the addition of foliage and a mural depicting the savannah don’t fool captive critters into thinking they’re in the wild, but the illusion isn’t for them. It’s for us. That’s why Kukla’s images, though beautifully shot and visually gripping, also are unsettling. “They’re kind of bleak,” Kukla says of the scenes he’s documented. “I really chose to highlight some of the more bizarre.”
The stated goal of most zoos is wildlife research and public education. For either to be possible, a captive animal must adapt to life within a confined space. Attempts to make that enclosure appear more natural, regardless of its size, help the viewer forget about this part of the arrangement.
See more of Kukla’s work here and his Kickstarter for an expedition to the Arctic here.
The Dish 