BIG CAT: Cocoy, a female jaguar, is one of seven Houston Zoo animals appearing in the December 2011 issue of National Geographic magazine, on newsstands Nov. 29. Vincent J. Musi / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
/cats photo HC
Seven big cats at theHouston Zoo have their centerfold moment in the December issue ofNational Geographic magazine, which appears on newsstands today.
PhotographerVincent J. Musi spent eight to nine hours daily for six days in February in hallways near the animals holding areas to capture the portraits, zoo spokesmanBrian Hill said. The black backgrounds were created by placing painted plywood in the cats off-exhibit bedrooms.
The photos of the zoos lion, clouded leopard, jaguar, cougar, leopard, cheetah and Malayan tiger accompany an essay by field biologistGeorge B. Schaller, Politics Is Killing the Big Cats.
We are deeply appreciative of the Houston Zoos hospitality, saidKathy Moran, a National Geographic senior photo editor. It is unusual for one facility to have such a diversity of big cats, and their generosity in facilitating Vinces photo shoot helped us to illustrate the animals beauty and power.<
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