Bob's added comments:
#6 - Zoos can be useful practice for all wildlife shooters. Do you feel that photographing an animal in a zoo is "cheating"? (I don't, since the chance of my being able to afford an African Safari or the like is practically none). Even if you don't want to use the photos you get, it's a great place to work on your skills. Photograph the animals, working on foreground and background, getting sharp images, focusing on fur, the effects of using a large aperture and the like.
All of the skills you develop and refine will translate just fine to that Elk you find at Rainier, that Bison at Yellowstone, or, if you're really lucky, when you go to take the shot of the African Lion in the wild, you'll know you've got solid technique and the skills to bring it home.
#7 - Pick your zoo carefully, based on your desired subject, and don't limit yourself to just one zoo. I visit several zoos in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle, Tacoma, Portland and my favorite, Northwest Trek. They all have strong points and weak points. As an example, the main tiger enclosure (which is also use by other of the big cats at times) at Point Defiance Zoo is excellent, very natural looking. On the hand, the elephant enclosure there, ironically right next to the tiger enclosure, is not photographer friendly at all, with the large fencing and posts making it pretty much impossible to get a shot that doesn't shout "Zoo!"
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium also has, as the name implies, a very nice aquarium. They feature mostly northwest animals, though they have an Asia themed area where you find the Lions and Tigers. They have a polar bear too, just in case you really feel the need to say "Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!"
http://www.pdza.org/
Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo is an excellent zoo, with some very nice exhibits, though in many of them have you facing the challenge of working around the glass. It seems to always be under construction, which is both annoying and nice, since when they do get done, there's something new. Last year they had a lot of cubs of various species.
http://www.zoo.org/
Portland's Oregon Zoo is also a favorite of mine, and the African Savannah exhibit is really nice. They're also building a much larger elephant enclosure, although that meant shortening up the Zoo's steam railway quite a bit, and I'm still a little grumpy about that, but it is a zoo, not an amusement park or railroad museum. But I'm still mad, LOL!
http://www.oregonzoo.org/
Northwest Trek is a real gem, with native Northwest Animals in a large natural enclosure. You ride through on trams, with a chance to get very nice shots of Elk and Bison and Bighorn Sheep. The downside is that the tram doesn't stop, so you'd better have good hand holding technique and a fast shutter speed. They also have a nice walk through area with some more northwest animals. Want some really nice shots? Sign up for the Photographer's tours they offer during the year. They're about $75 or so, but you'll get great photos!
http://www.nwtrek.org/
#8 - Consider a season pass to your favorite zoo or zoos. For many zoos, you can get a season pass for the price of three or four admissions. If you go more than three times a year, it's probably a money saver. They often include discounts on bringing guests, and some offer reduced admission to other area zoos, typically half off. (Read the fine print carefully, LOL!)
One advantage of a season's pass that I hadn't considered was that it allows you to spend just a couple of hours at the zoo without feeling like you're wasting you money. Point Defiance for example, costs $12 per person. If it's a sunny afternoon and the light is good, I may want to pop in a see if the tigers are out and playing. I probably won't spend $12 on the off chance I'll get a good shot, (tigers, like most cats, spend a LOT of time sleeping) but if I have a season's pass it doesn't cost me anything to visit for an hour or two. So I can drop by for a visit on a weekday afternoon if I get off work early and grab a few shots without feeling like I didn't get my money's worth since I didn't stay very long.
