Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: one animal

Unfortunately, seen at the Zoo a few days ago, not out in the wild. Ones that I do see in the wild are always far, far away. I managed to keep fences and sheds out of the background, so that it would look as natural as possible.

Talk about intricate pattern and detail, and protection : ) This Inland bearded Dragon resides at the Calgary Zoo (behind glass, unfortunately). "The beard has an expandable dewlap with spiky scales. The beard is used for both mating and aggression displays. Both sexes have a beard, but males display more frequently, especially in courtship rituals." nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactS...

I called in to see the two Koala Bears that have just arrived at the Calgary Zoo this afternoon. Both animals were sitting in "trees" right at the back of the enclosures and were fast asleep with their backs towards the visitors - of course, ha, ha. This one woke up for a few seconds and turned its head to the side a little, allowing me to get a poor quality, indoor photo, but one that is nice to have. The two male Koalas - Mundooie and Budaru - will stay at the Zoo's Australia exhibit until just after the Labour Day weekend. The pair are on loan from the San Diego Zoo, which has more than 20 Koalas. Koalas sleep for 18-20 hours a day, basically waking only to feed : ) As Koalas are solitary animals, each has his own separate enclosure. Under the Koala loan program, our Zoo pays a monthly fee to the San Diego Zoo, which it sends on to a conservation organization in Australia. Sounds good to me. www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/iphone/news/calgary/story.h...

I almost felt sorry for this little Black-tailed Prairie Dog - he just seemed to be staring out over the great expanse of sunlit snow, as if wondering what the dickens he was doing out of hibernation THIS early : )

I guess cold temperatures are not a problem to these cute Red Pandas, which have a Conservation Status of Vulnerable. This one is at the Calgary Zoo. "Red Pandas live in the slopes of the south of the Himalayas and the mountainous forests of the southwest of China, at altitudes of up to 4,800 meters, and generally do not venture below 1,800 meters.... They are very heat sensitive with an optimal “well-being” temperature between 17 and 25°C, and cannot tolerate temperatures over 25 °C at all. As a result, Red Pandas sleep during the hot noontime in the shady crowns of treetops, often lying stretched out on forked branches or rolled up in tree caves with their tail covering their face." From Wikipedia.

Another photo that thankfully came out well enough to upload : ) This young Red Fox was hanging out in the den area with one of his/her siblings while we watched from the car.

Yesterday afternoon, I called in again to see the two Koala Bears that recently arrived at the Calgary Zoo. Both animals are usually sitting in "trees" right at the back of the enclosures, fast asleep with their backs towards the visitors - of course, ha, ha. However, I was lucky that one of them (4 years old) was closer and partly facing outwards. Still fast asleep though : ) The two male Koalas - Mundooie and Budaru - will stay at the Zoo's Australia exhibit until just after the Labour Day weekend. The pair are on loan from the San Diego Zoo, which has more than 20 Koalas. Koalas sleep for 18-20 hours a day, basically waking only to feed : ) As Koalas are solitary animals, each has his own separate enclosure. Under the Koala loan program, our Zoo pays a monthly fee to the San Diego Zoo, which it sends on to a conservation organization in Australia. Sounds good to me. (Uncropped). www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/iphone/news/calgary/story.h...

Went with a friend fairly recently to look for a Great Gray Owl along the Grand Valley Road. No sign of any owl, or anything else that day - so, rather than come home without a single photo, this beautiful white horse became our focus of interest. I love to see a white horse in winter time - just something nice about white on white.

When I was watching the Red Pandas at the Calgary Zoo the other day, a family (of humans!) came into the enclosure, perhaps as part of a behind-the-scenes tour? It was interesting to see how the animals interacted with the people, who were giving them pieces of fruit to eat. These are such popular residents of the Zoo : ) Zoo staff are keeping their fingers crossed that there might be babies soon : )

On a couple of occasions when I've been at the Calgary Zoo, I happened to be near the Wolves when sirens were heard in the distance. Just like Coyotes in the wild, the captive Wolves lift their head and "howl" along with the sirens. It's quite an experience to both see and hear them do this. This white, female is an Arctic Wolf and she is the dominant one in the enclosure, which she shares with three female Timber Wolves.

I just find this image rather amusing, seeing this little Barred Owl sitting in front of an audience. The gentleman who gave the talk brought this injured, 7-year-old male owl with him and it was a neat experience to see a Barred Owl so close (even to touch him). He just sat and stared the whole evening : ) His eyes are amazing - like deep, dark pools.

Every once in a while, the Red Pandas at the Calgary Zoo will stop for a moment, before continuing with their almost constant motion. "The Red Panda, also called the Firefox, Fire Cat, Lesser Panda, or Ailurus fulgens ("shining cat"), is a mostly herbivorous mammal, specialized as a bamboo feeder. It is slightly larger than a domestic cat (40 - 60 cm long, 3 - 6 kg weight). The Red Panda is endemic to the Himalayas in Bhutan, southern China, Pakistan, India, Laos, Nepal, and Burma. There is an estimated population of fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. Their population continues to decline due to habitat fragmentation... Red Pandas are classified as Vulnerable. .... In southwest China the Red Panda is hunted for its fur and especially for its highly-valued bushy tail from which hats are produced. In the areas of China where the Red Panda lives, their fur is often used for local cultural ceremonies and in weddings the bridegroom traditionally carries the hide. The 'good-luck charm' hats are used by Chinese newlyweds." From Wikipedia.

Though I see lots of deer in the wild, sometimes close up, this particular Mule Deer was at the Calgary Zoo. Always love those big ears they have.

I think I liked the bokeh more than the Red Panda (at the Calgary Zoo) in this shot : ). Well, maybe not, but I always cheer when I do manage to get a blurred background, LOL. "The Red Panda, also called the Firefox or Lesser Panda (Latin name: Ailurus fulgens, "shining cat"), is a mostly herbivorous mammal, specialized as a bamboo feeder. It is slightly larger than a domestic cat (40 - 60 cm long, 3 - 6 kg weight). The Red Panda is endemic to the Himalayas in Bhutan, southern China, Pakistan, India, Laos, Nepal, and Burma. There is an estimated population of fewer than 2,500 mature individuals. Their population continues to decline due to habitat fragmentation. Their conservation status is Vulnerable" From Wikipedia.

Not as cute a photo as the standing one I uploaded the other day, but at least you get to see the whole (more or less) animal this time. These Long-tailed Weasels move incredibly fast and it's a miracle to get a photo : ) He didn't move quite fast enough, though, to prevent a predator catching him by the tail at some time and pulling off the end half (?) of his lovely long tail with the black tip. You can see a straggly bit of white fur hanging from the tail stump. I hope it wasn't one of "my" owls that tried to have him for dinner! They all share the same little area.

A final photo of the little Long-tailed Weasel that I saw in a local park ten days ago. Despite its name, it only had a short tail with no black tip, thanks to some local predator! This little guy was as quick as lightning, darting in every possible direction, with just an occasional curious glance.

This was one of two dogs that came over to greet us on a farm, while we out doing the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count in the Cochrane area. I don't know much/anything about dogs, but I was surprised to see a dog with a bright pink nose like this. He also had strange eyes that made me wonder if it was blind. However, it was running all over the place, so seemed to have sight. Can anyone tell me what breed this is and if a pink nose is usual for that breed? Thanks : )