The animal they found, and painstakingly stalked and photographed are small dots on the film, barely recognizable. Very often there is simply no way to get a frame filling photo without good telephoto equipment, but there have been instances when I could have got closer but did not. But the camera can't do that, it shows things as they are with all their imperfections. Secondly, keep in mind that when you take a picture, you're reducing the image when you photograph it. That's not at all like the photo's you've seen in magazines.
Proximity is what impresses the viewer.
Part patience, part technique. A telephoto lens is almost a must . These lenses are out of reach of almost all of us. But a 200 mm. But for smaller wildlife, a 200 mm.