My trip to Amsterdam was work related and I took the opportunity to see as much of the city as I could. Amsterdam is a city built on water, with winding streets, canals and bridges connecting each section of the city together. The main mode of transportation is the bicycle. Every year, 20% of bicycles are stolen, with your average bike being stolen 5 times, or more.

I left my hotel and walked the winding streets to the ARTIS Zoo. The streets of Amsterdam are almost all cobblestone and very narrow, being built long before the invention of the automobile. Bicycles and mopeds fill the streets, and the occasional smart car and taxi passed by.

The history of the Amsterdam ARTIS Zoo is interesting. it's over 100 years old, and it shows. The animals seemed to be fed well and cared for, but their surroundings were in need of repair. There were many great animals I wasn't able to photograph because most are behind fenced enclosures.

The lions caught my attention because they were in the open, and very active while I was there.

The lion den had six females when I first arrived, but it wasnt long before they released the male lion into the same area. Suddenly all the females became very active welcoming him and this made for a great photo opportunity.

The racoons and Beavers were also out and very active. The Amsterdam Zoo had some other beautiful animals but none were visible enough for quality photography, but they were amazing to look at, especially the wild cats.