Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: females

This is a photo taken in 2012, not on our most recent trip, three days ago. On this particular day four years ago, I took a number of photos of the herd of Bighorn Sheep that live on Plateau Mountain. I posted one or two other photos closer to that time, so I will copy and paste my description from that day, 13 July 2012. "On 13th July, eight of us spent the day botanizing on Plateau Mountain, Kananaskis, way south west of Calgary. We record all plant species found, and any insects, birds, etc. that we notice, gradually adding new species to the existing list. I had been there a week previously with a different group (of Lichenologists, Bryologists, etc.). The upper gate was locked on Saturday and we didn't have a key, so we had to walk from the locked gate up the road all the way to the lower meadows. This time, though, we also explored a little bit further, climbing part way up a very rocky slope. One of the absolute highlights of the trip was when we were offered the chance to be driven to the very top to see the herd of around 150 Bighorn Sheep that call the mountain "home". The man who was in charge of checking the gas plant on top of the plateau was allowed access to drive all the way up there, so we were very lucky. (Note added on 1 October 2016: more recently, the gas plant has been shut down.) A week before, I had been up there for the first time, but we only passed by the sheep and didn't get out of our vehicles. Three of us chose to go, and what a thrill it was, to have dozens of these wild animals come rushing towards the vehicle - they love to lick the salt off the truck. Apparently, they won't come near if it's just a person standing there, but they do come running over when they see a vehicle to lick. We got out of the truck and we even had a sheep or two come over and nuzzle our hands. While there, someone (thanks, David!) spotted a Hoary Marmot enjoying the shade under part of the small gas plant. I was delighted to see one of these animals - got a very distant and crummy photo, but am posting it so that I can add it to my Wild Animals of Alberta set. We were so lucky to be driven all the way back down the mountain to our cars, too, picking up the other five of us on the way. It's a tough job searching for rare plants, but someone has to do it, lol!"

"Shortly, the Calgary Zoo is moving its three female Asian elephants — Kamala, Swarna and Maharani — to the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C.. The lone male Asian elephant, Spike, was relocated to a Florida Zoo last fall. (Note: not sure which adult female elephants are in my old photo, but the baby was baby Malti, who very sadly died a few years ago, when just a matter of months old). This photo was taken on 23 March 2008. They will be reunited with a couple of elephants that two of them lived with at an orphanage in Sri Lanka more than 30 years ago. Donald Moore, an official with Smithsonian's, says they'll be studying them to see if the elephants remember each other and how they'll react. "We think they'll remember each other, and we are in conversation about how to study that along with some university researchers in psychology and communications," he said. "So it's going to be a very exciting time for these elephants in Washington, D.C." Zoo officials said they did an extensive international search and this accredited facility met their stringent criteria to take care of the three female elephants. Listen to an interview with Calgary Zoo curator Colleen Baird about the move: www.cbc.ca/1.1323590 The move was made in the best interest of the animals and not because of recent flood damage (i.e. June 2013) to the zoo, according to officials. The decision to move the animals was made last April, before the floods, because the island that houses the zoo cannot accommodate a large herd, and elephant welfare is better served by being part of a larger social group." This is a link to a wonderful, informative pdf article on the Calgary Zoo elephants in the Calgary Zoo magazine. Tells you about the individual personalities of these amazing animals and their history: www.calgaryzoo.com/sites/default/files/pdf/Wildlife_Sprin... This photo is in the following SET: CALGARY ZOO www.flickr.com/photos/annkelliott/sets/72157632014191699/

We were treated to this wonderful sight on two mornings during our stay at the Lake Yellowstone Hotel (in two of their little cabins). A short drive from the hotel along the edge of the lake, Elk were on this narrow bit of land not far from shore. As you can see, the male had his harem all to himself. On one of the mornings, a female swam across to the shore and, of course, everyone was hoping that the male would, too, but he stayed with his women. Taken on 13 September 2012 - a lot of haze from forest fires in the park while we were there. (Location on my map is only very approximate.) "Elk (Cervus elaphus) are the most abundant large mammal found in Yellowstone; paleontological evidence confirms their continuous presence for at least 1,000 years. Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872, when market hunting of all large grazing animals was rampant. Not until after 1886, when the U.S. Army was called in to protect the park and wildlife slaughter was brought under control, did the large animals increase in number. More than 30,000 elk from 7-8 different herds summer in Yellowstone and approximately 15,000 to 22,000 winter in the park." www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/elk.htm