Lenses: Bring your longest lens and a macro. The long lens will be used to try and fill the frame with your subject. They can also be used to throw foreground bars out of focus when you place the lens right up to them and shoot with a wide open aperture. The macro will come in handy for the smaller animals who reside in the indoor exhibits behind glass. If the rules allow you to get right up to the glass, press the lens against it to eliminate as many reflections and as much glare as possible. The closer your subject is to it the better as it will allow you to fill the frame. Be sure you’re shooting in RAW as the image will take on the color of the glass. By shooting in RAW, this cast can be corrected more efficiently using Photoshop or other RAW editor of your choice.

Tripod: Most zoos don’t have tripod restrictions with regards to shooting the outside exhibits but they may set limitations for the indoor ones. Before heading out, check into this. A monopod may prove to be a good alternate. The tripod will not only help stabilize your lens, it will more importantly keep your arms from getting over tired as you wait for the animal to display behavior. If your arms get tired and you drop the camera to your side, inevitably, this will be the moment the animal does something interesting. By time you raise the camera back to your eye, recreate the composition, and fine tune the adjustments, the shot may be gone.