On a fairly recent visit to the Calgary Zoo, on September 26th, I happened to notice some very pretty bokeh hiding behind one of the enormous leaves of a tropical plant in the ENMAX Conservatory : )
Later, in the evening ... is anyone else having a problem with Flickr being ridiculously slow? Whatever I click on takes forever to open. Think I will have to give up.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada southern Alberta Calgary Zoo ENMAX Conservatory nature plant tropical leaf large pattern texture green bokeh macro close-up square crop artistic abstract beauty in nature Panasonic DMC-FZ40 DMC-FZ40 FZ40 Lumix point-and-shoot P1200793 FZ40 annkelliott beautiful_expression BRAVO © Anne Elliott 2011 © All Rights Reserved
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Wanted some fall colours for today and I don't have a pumpkin of any size to use, so here is a Rudbeckia (?) to wish all my Canadian friends a very Happy Thanksgiving weekend. Just a few more weeks now and it will be Christmas - and then we'll be a lot closer to spring once again : ) Ha.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada southern Alberta Calgary Zoo nature flora garden flower flowers Rudbeckia Rudbeckia hirta cappuccino flower head bokeh colourful vibrant yellow orange-brown macro close-up beauty in nature Panasonic DMC-FZ40 DMC-FZ40 FZ40 Lumix point-and-shoot P1200043 FZ40 annkelliott © Anne Elliott 2011 © All Rights Reserved
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A group of us had the privilege of being allowed to visit the Calgary Zoo Ranch, just south of the city, two days ago. It is not open to the public, but we have the chance to go once a year. This pair of majestic Elk were just two of several species that were there.
Tremendous work is being done there to breed several very endangered species, especially the fascinating Whooping Crane. These birds are kept in enclosures and any interaction with the staff is done using white "Crane costumes". The Whooping Crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild. Many thanks to Crane Keeper, Dwight Knapik for showing us around for the afternoon and filling us with interesting information.
In 1985, the Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre (DWCC) opened. Known as the "Zoo Ranch," this land south of Calgary is home to the breeding facilities for the endangered Whooping Cranes, Vancouver Island Marmots, Przwalksi wild horses and Zebra.
"The only remaining flock of wild Whooping Cranes, the wintering population in coastal Texas, reached a low of 15 birds in the winter of 1941-42, and hovered between the low 20s and mid 30s over the next two decades. Efforts to locate the flock's breeding grounds intensified following World War II. Evidence of breeding was first reported in 1954, when several adults and pre-fledged juveniles were observed in Wood Buffalo National Park (WBNP) in Northwest Territories, Canada. Researchers were able to locate the first nests the following year. The inaccessibility of the breeding grounds, protection of the wintering grounds, and extensive public education campaigns have contributed to the population's increase to its current level."
www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/cranes/grusamer.htm
www.bringbackthecranes.org/recovery/recv2009.html#Captive
www.whoopingcrane.com/FLOCKSTATUS.HTM
Tags: Alberta Canada Calgary Zoo Ranch Devonian Wildlife Conservation Centre (DWCC) animal male female Elk Cervus canadensis captive enclosure arrogance Panasonic DMC-FZ40 DMC-FZ40 FZ40 Lumix point-and-shoot P1220291 FZ40 annkelliott beautiful_expression © Anne Elliott 2011 © All Rights Reserved
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A splash of colour from the gardens at the Calgary Zoo, for Fall and Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving today rather than yesterday. Taken on September 12th.
Tags: Calgary Alberta Canada southern Alberta Calgary Zoo flora garden flower flowers yellow orange floral explosion petals macro close-up horizontal beauty in nature Panasonic DMC-FZ40 DMC-FZ40 FZ40 Lumix point-and-shoot P1190423 FZ40 annkelliott beautiful_expression © Anne Elliott 2011 © All Rights Reserved
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The Calgary Zoo has a ranch just south of the city and once a year we get the chance to visit. The ranch is a 320-acre captive breeding facility at DeWinton, and is not open to the public. It also serves as a Zoo quarantine and holding area for everything from elk to zebras. There is also a wonderful Whooping Crane breeding program. Many thanks again to Crane Keeper, Dwight Knapik, for showing us around for the afternoon on October 8th and filling us with interesting information.
"The horses at the Calgary Zoo Ranch ain’t never been rode – and they ain’t never going to be. They’re Przewalski horses, the world’s only truly wild breed, and the Zoo’s mandate is to keep them wild. Also known as Asian horses, Mongolian Wild horses or Takhi, they were native to Asia and became extinct in the wild. Their captive breeding is now monitored under a worldwide Species Survival Plan, an international program that controls the breeding of most zoo animals today. All the estimated 1,500 Przewalskis today are descended from 13 ancestors captured in Mongolia during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, at least 60 Przewalski horses live on their own at Hustain Huruu, a Mongolian steppe area. Przewalskis are virtually untameable, suspicious and very difficult to manage compared to modern domesticated breeds." From article by Tyler Trafford in Canadian Country Cowboy magazine.
www.canadiancowboy.ca/features/the_zoo_ranch.html
Tags: Alberta Canada southern Alberta just south of Calgary Calgary Zoo Ranch DeWinton nature horse Przewalski horse Przewalski captive endangered breeding program wild horse field Panasonic DMC-FZ40 DMC-FZ40 FZ40 Lumix point-and-shoot P1220213 FZ40 annkelliott beautiful_expression AnimalPlanet © Anne Elliott 2011 © All Rights Reserved
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