Strange but beautiful

This photo was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 6 October 2015. The west entrance to the Zoo has been closed (for the winter) since 13 October, and I did want to get in one last visit. Now it will continue to be closed because the old, narrow bridge over the Bow River, which I would normally drive over, is being replaced. I don't like the drive home on Deerfoot Trail from the north entrance, so normally tend not to go to the Zoo all winter. Now I would have to do this till the bridge is completed next year (2017). "Calgary's infamous freeway has taken the dubious top spot when it comes to this city's most dangerous place to drive." From the Calgary Sun.

The forecast for 6 October was for sun with some cloud, but it turned out to be overcast the whole afternoon and most of my photos, especially those taken indoors, came out blurry : ( I was amazed that this and several others taken of this amazing Mandrill came out OK, including because of the dirty glass and everyone's reflection making it a challenge. This guy was walking around his enclosure the whole time, except when he paused on a log for a few seconds a couple of times, to give a nice pose. A black squirrel added a a bit of interest for him, too, and he liked to give chase. The previous time I was at the Zoo, I saw this black squirrel in there. The glass of the enclosure is extremely high, so I don't know how it got in or out.

"The world’s largest monkey, mandrills in the wild are found in the rainforests of equatorial Africa in countries such as Guinea, Nigeria and Cameroon. Known for the vivid red, blue and yellow markings on the muzzle and rump, mandrills also have long canine teeth that make a memorable impression. The monkeys are largely ground-dwelling omnivores that forage on grubs, eggs, fruit, leaves and reptiles, but they will climb trees for fun or for a safe place to sleep. Mature males can weigh up to 50 kg. and live up to about 25 years of age. Their colours also get brighter as they mature.

Males can appear aggressive when they flash their canines at one another, but that is really a sign of friendly communication common in their complex social hierarchies, said Celli. In fact, despite their striking looks, mandrills tend to be quite shy. Because the group at the zoo is all male, you won’t see any displays of bravado that signal mating behaviour, but you will see the younger males following the lead of their dominant oldest brother, Yusufu. Zoo curator, Dr. Malu Celli, said the adolescent younger brothers will copy his mannerisms and even his walk.

The trio were born in captivity in the Granby Zoo in Granby, Q.C. (Quebec) and were part of a family group there that had too many males. Celli said it is not unusual to find bachelor groups of mandrills in the wild, or males that hang out on the peripheries of a “super group.” From an article in the Calgary Herald on 16 May 2014.

www.calgaryherald.com/technology/things+know+about+colour...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrill