Jo Ann Ziegler: Bears Forever Photography

Wildlife Photography

While growing up in Iowa, Jo Ann's father shared his adventures as an avid sportsman in the great outdoors.  From these inspiring experiences, she fell in love with nature and developed a passion for wildlife.  Her father taught her enduring patience and an eye for wildlife’s delightful behaviors. However, Jo Ann didn’t hone these skills until later in life.  After obtaining a Masters's degree in Psychology, Jo Ann focused on a thirty-five-year career as a mental health therapist.  It wasn’t until visiting Africa in 1988, that she captured her first images of wildlife while using a borrowed camera.  During this trip, Jo Ann recognized her passion for animals.  

 In 1995, Jo Ann participated in her first tour to the Hudson’s Bay area to view polar bears.  The next year, she returned with a camera in hand and took her first steps as a fledging photographer. She also developed a new-found passion for bears, bears, and more bears, Jo Ann made her 25th trip to Hudson’s Bay in 2020 to capture more delightful moments of these great creatures of the Arctic.

In addition to polar bears, Jo Ann has captured unique, but nature images of other animals throughout the world. Over the years, Jo Ann has photographed the exceptional behaviors of brown bears (grizzlies) in Alaska and British Columbia. In India, the awe-inspiring Bengal tiger captured her heart.  In 2013, Jo Ann returned to Africa and rekindled her passion for big cats and their unique features as an apex predator. Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa have been her favorite African haunts.  Living in Wyoming, Jo Ann has captured images of North American “critters” like buffalo and antelope close to her backyard.  Through all of these exceptional opportunities over the years, Jo Ann has been able to nurture her passion for the many magnificent and charismatic animals of the world.