A wildlife photographer in Algeria took a friendly lion cub on a wild photoshoot. (courtesy of Djamel Hadj Aissa)
[The Epoch Times, April 18, 2023](Reported by English Epoch Times reporter Louise Chambers/Compiled by Zhang Yufei) A wildlife photographer in North Africa actually brought the cutest and most unexpected “little assistant” to the wild for photography. Many netizens were amazed by the warm group photo of the special partner.
Wildlife photographer Djamel Hadj Aissa (Djamel Hadj Aissa) is originally from the Algerian city of Gairdaya and currently lives in the capital Algiers (Algiers). He was part of the famous family that established the first private zoo in the country. Today, the Hadj Isa family owns six zoos, located in Ghardaïa, Tlemcen, Oran, Sétif, Jelfa ( Djelfa) and Oum Bouaghi six cities.
One day, Jamel was about to go to the wild to photograph lions, and he had a sudden idea to bring a special companion: a friendly lion cub born in his backyard.
“Because this was the first time I took it out to take pictures with me, it lay down on the chair next to me and observed what I was doing curiously.” Jamel told The Epoch Times. Unbelievable moment, my nephew Fayçal immediately took the opportunity to take a photo and video of us. The footage showed us facing forward side by side and looking in the same direction together, and the public loved the photo.”
Jamel then took to Instagram to share one of the most special photos and a video of him and the curious lion cub. Chance once again shared his awe of wild animals.
Jamel’s passion for photography began at the age of 15, when his father’s friend, a Belgian professional photographer, gave him a camera during a trip to the city of Gairdaille, with the proviso that Jamel “would take care of it.” Get it and take beautiful photos with it”.
“At that moment, I clicked the shutter for the first time,” he said, “I knew that photography would not only enrich my future life, but that I would undoubtedly become a photographer.”
After becoming a professional news photographer in the 1990s, he decided to go freelance a few years later and made his first foray into wildlife photography in 2015.
Now, Jamel has upgraded his equipment to Canon 5D IV and 1DX II camera bodies, 400mm F2.8 Canon lens with X1.4 and X2 extenders. He often uses Adobe Lightroom in post-processing to improve overall image quality.
Most wildlife photographers in Algeria are amateurs, Jamel said, as these people often “don’t have the budget” to support the profession. He hoped to become a correspondent for a foreign photo agency or magazine in order to pay his expenses.
At the same time, he regularly communicates with researchers and experts in the field to expand his knowledge.
“Lynxes, porcupines, servals, golden wolves, and desert cats are all mythical animals, which have given many nature lovers, including me, a lot of wonderful fantasies.” Jamel told The Epoch Times.
Algeria is home to some 107 species of mammals, 47 of which are protected but 30 are endangered. Of the more than 430 species of birds that exist in the country, only 100 are protected.
“I’ve always been in awe of the landscape and biodiversity that our country has,” Jamel said. “This is a precious heritage that deserves protection.”
Responsible editor: Han Yu#