Those are great shots, James! Really nice.

Re the question of 'too close' I defer to the experts, but my intuition tells me that if one is close enough to more or less make eye contact - then that's potentially too close. Obviously it's a 'grey area' and there would naturally be exceptions and numerous extenuating circumstances.

The documentary "Grizzly Man" starkly illustrates what happens when a human (by the devastation of mental illness) loses the capacity to discern what is 'too close.'

I appreciate Tony's reminder that the animal's protection is a big part of the equation. While in Kenya and Tanzania some years back, I saw blatant disregard for this side of things.

It's a tough situation for all concerned when affluent visitors hire vehicles and driver guides for the express purpose of getting close to the wildlife. The guide knows, for example, if he can find a mother Chetah with cubs the odds of a big tip go way up! I felt myself being sucked into that mentality as well. Fortunately my guide was knowlegable and ethical. He refused to drive in a circle all the way around the Chetah and her cubs so I could shoot from many angles, explaining that to do so could endanger the cubs. Should one of them wander off in the tall grass and become lost, the mother might be unable to track the cub down, it's trail and scent having been completely obliterated in 360 degrees.

James, I don't get the impression you were too close but your post offers the opportunity for a healthy discussion of the topic. I note from the EXIF data you were shooting at 400mm with a Canon 20D. From that info we can get a sense of how far away you actually were (I'm also assuming you cropped the full image quite a bit to get the compositions above.)

Again, these are wonderful images and, in my view, totally legit. However, I'm open to being educated on the subject.