It has been many years since we last visited the Sonora Desert Museum, and it has only gotten better over time. Not only is it just about the best, and most fun, way to learn about the desert (specifically the Sonoran Desert, but also deserts in general), but the exhibits are remarkably photographer-friendly (while still being very respectful of the animals, like this young Mountain Lion). One thing that always strikes me when I visit is how little real contact we have with most of the creatures that inhabit our continent. For example, I have many thousands of photos of African Leopards in the wild, and essentially zero of their North American equivalent, the Mountain Lion, in the wild…

The Desert Museum at least offers a partial cure, with a great chance to see and photograph the young rescue mountain lion they have in an exhibit – as I did in the accompanying photograph.

Mountain Lion (male, about 2 years old)
Nikon D810, Nikon 80-400mm AF-S VR Lens, Captive Animal

If you are anywhere near Tucson, treat yourself to a half-day (or more) at the Sonora Desert Museum. They have literally hundreds of different animals, a wide variety of birds, and seemingly countless species of cacti and other plants.