--- title: >- My Reset has Long Legs date: 2026-02-12 00:00:00 modified: 2026-06-08 13:47:45 lang: en authors: Piotr Pelica url: https://pelica.net/en/my-reset-has-long-legs tags: - animals - photography - zoo - wildlife status: published --- # My Reset has Long Legs Do you know that moment in your life when you've been running at 100% for months and the breaking point finally came? The body says "nu-uh". The soul begs to be restored. The mind says "baa". Yeah. You need rest. For some it's sleep. For others it's an all-inclusive holiday. For me? For me it's walking with my camera on my shoulder. Ideally amongst animals. So this week I kept bouncing between Shepreth Wildlife Park and Hamerton Zoo Park. Not in a “big planned trip” way, more in a “the light looks… good enough, let’s go” way. Back in January I made a decision that changed everything - suddenly there was no pressure to stay all day to get my money’s worth. No guilt about leaving after a couple of hours. Just… show up, walk, see what’s there, leave when it feels right. Repeat. Shepreth started the usual way. [Kelabu](/shepreth/p/1801) doing her rounds. Both maned wolves hiding, like the introverts they are. Surprisingly though the clouded leopard and the lynx were both out, which was the first for me. I’ve learned from the keeper that soon they’ll be doing a swap - the male maned wolf will go to a different zoo and they’ll get another one. As of writing this post, the new male was still in quarantine. And then there was Hamerton. Super quiet (although it is the winter) and definitely bigger than Shepreth. I went there hoping I might see them - the [maned wolves](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maned_wolf). *Chrysocyon brachyurus*. I didn’t, not at first. I spoke with the keepers there and learned that they’re mostly out during their feeding times, so that’s why I was there just as the feeding was starting the next day. I did not expect to see what happened next. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen the maned wolves before - and [at Hamerton](/welcome-back-to-the-hamerton-zoo). The legs. The proportions. The way they move like someone designed a fox and then stretched it vertically just because they could. Every time one of them started moving, I was locked in. And they did move. I swear I saw them airborne. When the male got zoomies… Yeah. Definitely a *golden dog*. I am now, officially, a proud owner of two zoo annual passes, which feels slightly unhinged and entirely justified. By the end of the week I was tired… but this time physically. The good kind. The “you went outside, you moved, you cared about something” kind. Turns out, for me, that’s exactly what restoration looks like. ![Two cheetahs with spotted fur lying closely together on green grass with blurred natural background.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9306-698df832c1302.jpg) ![Dingo with white markings standing on a metal surface outdoors, with blurred trees and fencing in the background.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-8928-698df805a48ed.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-8948-698df80861fe8.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-8955-698df809aa512.jpg) ![A white tiger with black stripes rests its head on a wooden surface, eyes partially open.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-8979-698df81738dcd.jpg) ![A white tiger is lying on its side with its mouth open and tongue sticking out, inside a dark enclosure with a concrete wall.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-8989-698df81921d07.jpg) ![A lynx sitting on grass, grooming its hind leg, with tufted ears and a thick, spotted coat.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9111-698df82896fa6.jpg) ![Close-up of a clouded leopard with a spotted coat and long whiskers, looking directly at the camera.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8268-698a3b47cb342.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8286-698a3b50204c3.jpg) ![Red panda sitting on a wooden beam, reaching up to eat green bamboo leaves in a naturalistic enclosure.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8491-698a3b6b0e087.jpg) ![Two red pandas face each other closely, touching noses among branches.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8519-698a3b808d247.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8540-698a3b6ea4780.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8571-698a3b7316ea2.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8576-698a3b7692872.jpg) ![Red panda climbing a tree and eating green bamboo leaves surrounded by lush foliage.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8597-698a3b9a7b1e7.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8599-698a3b9e7110b.jpg) ![A lynx with tufted ears and spotted fur is lying on the grass and dirt near a metal fence.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8679-698a3ba785948.jpg) ![A lynx with tufted ears looks upward behind wooden beams and green foliage in a grassy enclosure.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8739-698a3baadc47a.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/shepreth/202602/IMG-8747-698a3bad908ad.jpg) ![A maned wolf with reddish fur and black markings stands on green grass, looking slightly downward.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/IMG-9487-6996e24b40846.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9396-698df852c5e5b.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9392-698df85a8228a.jpg) ![Two maned wolves walking on grassy ground near a chain-link fence.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9412-698df863a0cde.jpg) ![Two maned wolves with reddish fur and black legs face each other on grassy ground.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9416-698df865d9da9.jpg) ![Two maned wolves, one standing and one walking on grass near a fallen tree branch.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9418-698df86850ef1.jpg) ![A large brown maned wolf with thick fur stands on grassy ground, looking intently to the left.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9454-698df8836ce60.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9469-698df885b7ed8.jpg) ![A close-up of a maned wolf with reddish-brown fur looking down at pieces of food on green grass.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9475-698df88898136.jpg) ![Close-up of a maned wolf licking its nose with a blurred grassy background.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9482-698df88b4015f.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9543-698df8a7da5dc.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9552-698df8a9b8d12.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9569-698df8abaa0cc.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9594-698df8adc6363.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9598-698df8afdf8a6.jpg) ![A maned wolf is running on a grassy field, lifting one front leg as it moves forward.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9619-698df8d78ec16.jpg) ![A maned wolf is running on green grass, with its front legs in the air](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9620-698df8d945667.jpg) ![A maned wolf running on grass, landing on front paws, with a branch and some fruits on the ground nearby.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9621-698df8dae5688.jpg) ![A maned wolf with reddish-brown fur and black legs walks on green grass near leafless branches.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9625-698df8dcc1999.jpg) ![A maned wolf with reddish fur and black legs is running on grass near a small tree.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9627-698df8df61c43.jpg) ![A maned wolf is running on grass with its right front paw lifted and a blurred tree in the background.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9631-698df8e104ef9.jpg) ![Close-up of a maned wolf looking through a rain-speckled window with wooden posts in the background.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9637-698df8f24742b.jpg) ![Close-up of a maned wolf shaking its head with water droplets visible around its face.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9642-698df8f4916ec.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9645-698df8f748cb2.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9661-698df8f936bd8.jpg) ![A maned wolf is running away on a grassy field with a chain-link fence in the background.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9687-698df91eacffc.jpg) ![](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9689-698df920dadba.jpg) ![A maned wolf looking happy, walking on green grass with bare tree branches in the background.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9694-698df923203d6.jpg) ![A maned wolf stands on grass looking to the right with its mouth slightly open.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9698-698df924ee5e7.jpg) ![A maned wolf with reddish fur, black mane, and large ears is walking on green grass, looking forward with its mouth slightly open.](https://cdn2.pelica.net/photos/hamerton/202602/IMG-9701-698df926ec57a.jpg)