Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Endangered

Photo of this beautiful, ENDANGERED Grevy's Zebra was taken at the Calgary Zoo on 8 September 2012, when I went with my friends from England for the day. "The Grévy's zebra (Equus grevyi), also known as the imperial zebra, is the largest extant wild equid and the largest and most endangered of the three species of zebra, the other two being the plains zebra and the mountain zebra. Named after Jules Grévy, it is the sole extant member of the subgenus Dolichohippus. The Grévy's zebra is found in Kenya and Ethiopia. Compared with other zebras, it is tall, has large ears, and its stripes are narrower. The Grévy's zebra lives in semi-arid grasslands where it feeds on grasses, legumes, and browse; it can survive up to five days without water. It differs from the other zebra species in that it does not live in harems and has few long-lasting social bonds. Male territoriality and mother–foal relationships form the basis of the social system of the Grévy's zebra. This zebra is considered to be endangered. Its population has declined from 15,000 to 3,000 since the 1970s. However, as of 2008 the population is stable." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%A9vy's_zebra

These beautiful, endangered Red Pandas are very popular with people visiting the Calgary Zoo. They are very difficult to photograph, as they spend their time constantly moving around in their enclosure or asleep inside one of their "tree houses". I was lucky that day that this Red Panda stopped for a brief moment. Taken on 31st October 2009. Below is an article from 2009, from CBC News, written after the birth of a new baby Red Panda at Calgary Zoo: "Every time a red panda is born, and particularly every time the cub is raised by its mother, it's an important achievement, because the mortality rate for red panda cubs is as high as 74 per cent. Since 1994, nine red cub pandas have been born at the Calgary Zoo. "It is important to continue to support conservation and protection of red pandas so that some day we see a natural increase in their populations," said Tim Sinclair-Smith, curator of the zoo's Eurasia section. "There is still a long way to go to this end, but this new birth will have a positive impact on captive population growth and genetic diversity of the species." It's estimated there are fewer than 10,000 mature red pandas in the world. They're classified as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_panda

I was just able to photograph this absolutely gorgeous, endangered/threatened Snow Leopard (at the Calgary Zoo) in between the bars from a distance. Just a slight blur at left and right. There is a double fence around their enclosure, so you can't get up close and actually put your camera lens in between the bars. Just love those beautiful eyes. "Snow leopards live between 3,000 and 5,500 metres (9,800 and 18,000 ft) above sea level in the rocky mountain ranges of Central and South Asia. Their secretive nature means that their exact numbers are unknown, but it has been estimated that between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards exist in the wild and between 600 and 700 in zoos worldwide." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard

Photographed this little endangered Leopard Frog through very dirty glass at the Calgary Zoo a few days ago. "Over the last 35 years, Northern Leopard Frog (Rana piplens) populations have declined dramatically over much of the species' range in North America. Abrupt population declines were first noted in Alberta in 1979. Since then, populations appear to have been extirpated over much of central Alberta and are absent or greatly reduced in southern Alberta. Only a handful of viable breeding populations currently remain in southeastern Alberta. Because of its virtual disappearance from the province, the Northern Leopard Frog has been designated as an endangered species under the Alberta Wildlife Act." From www.abheritage.ca/abnature/speciesatrisk/leopard_frog_int... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Leopard_Frog

As you can see, it was a lovely sunny day on 4th April, so I just had to make the most of the afternoon and get a few shots down at the Calgary Zoo. These Gibbons are also known as Lar Gibbons. An Endangered species. I also took a few shots of the other Gibbon, who is black, and his expression is hilarious - looks like a grumpy, bitter old man, lol!!! "Lar gibbons are threatened in various ways: they are sometimes hunted for their meat, sometimes a parent is killed in order to capture young animals for pets and the largest danger is the loss of habitat. The fur coloring of the lar gibbon varies from black and dark-brown to light brown sandy colors. The hands and feet are white colored, likewise a ring of white hair surrounds the black face. Both males and females can be all color variants, and the sexes also hardly differ in size." Wikipedia. This morning, I drove over to Fish Creek Park to see if I could see the owlets that I had been told about yesterday at one of the nests. However, no sign of a nest or even Mom. A beautiful Robin posed for me, though. After that, I decided to drive just south west of the city along a few backroads. I was really hoping to see my first Mountain Bluebird of the year, and sure enough, I saw about four pairs. All were distant, except for one male, who flew straight towards me, perched in a nearby tree, and gave me a nice left pose and then a right pose, and then off he flew. These birds usually fly off in the opposite direction when they see my car coming, so I really appreciated this male. It's always such a shock to see a flash of brilliant blue after all the cold, snowy winter months. Simply breathtaking. Spring really IS here - for now! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lar_gibbon

These little Burrowing Owls used to roam freely in the cactus room in the old Conservatory at the Calgary Zoo. Then they were transferred to an outside enclosure as well as some of them being indoors in a different building in the Canadian Wilds area. When I was there a few days ago, I noticed that one of the Swift Foxes was in the outdoor enclosure where the owls had been, so maybe all the owls have now been moved indoors. "The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or any other dry, open area with low vegetation. They nest and roost in burrows, such as those excavated by prairie dogs. Unlike most owls, burrowing owls are often active during the day, although they tend to avoid the mid-day heat. Most hunting is still done at dusk or at night. Burrowing owls are able to live for at least 9 years in the wild and over 10 years in captivity. They are often killed by vehicles when crossing roads, and have many natural enemies, including badgers, coyotes, and snakes. They are also killed by both feral and domesticated cats and dogs." From Wikipedia. "As a result of its ENDANGERED Species status in 1995, it has the focus of a variety of conservation efforts. Operation Burrowing Owl and other projects involving habitat preservation with landowners have been created. Populations are monitored by Fish and Wildlife departments. They have been reintroduced into the British Columbia interior, where it was extirpated. Outlook would improve if larger areas of habitat were preserved and harmful pesticides were banned in all areas of their range. Numbers could increase if an increased tolerance to burrowing mammals develops (i.e. badgers) – provides homes for the Burrowing Owl. Outlook: perilous." From burrowingowl.com.

Photographed this little endangered Leopard Frog through very dirty glass at the Calgary Zoo three days ago. "Over the last 35 years, Northern Leopard Frog (Rana piplens) populations have declined dramatically over much of the species' range in North America. Abrupt population declines were first noted in Alberta in 1979. Since then, populations appear to have been extirpated over much of central Alberta and are absent or greatly reduced in southern Alberta. Only a handful of viable breeding populations currently remain in southeastern Alberta. Because of its virtual disappearance from the province, the Northern Leopard Frog has been designated as an endangered species under the Alberta Wildlife Act." From www.abheritage.ca/abnature/speciesatrisk/leopard_frog_int...

In the last few years, I have only ever once been lucky enough to see the small Swift Fox out of its den at the Calgary Zoo. When I went on Monday afternoon, there were four of these beautiful creatures running around their enclosure. "Captive breeding of swift foxes began in 1973 through a privately run program. In 1978, the species was officially designated as "extirpated" in Canada by COSEWIC, and a national recovery plan was approved in 1995 to reintroduce swift foxes and create a self-sustaining Canadian population. The species is now (August 20th, 2003) listed as "endangered" by COSEWIC. Swift foxes were first officially released in Alberta in 1983. By 1996, 540 foxes had been released in the Alberta-Saskatchewan border and the Milk River Ridge areas, parts of the species' native range. Most animals released were bred in captivity; the remainder were wild-born animals imported from the United States. At present (August 20th 2003), it is estimated that there are approximately 96 swift foxes in Alberta, most of them the offspring of released foxes. The population is stable or increasing slightly, but the species remains extremely vulnerable because of its small numbers and limited distribution." From www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/escc/pdf/swift_fox.pdf

I was surprised that this small Swift Fox didn't stay in its burrow today, considering how many noisy kids and their parents were at the Zoo. This was the first time I had seen this beautiful creature, despite all my visits to the Zoo. It was constantly on the move, making taking photos really difficult : ). I was delighted to finally see what a Swift Fox looked like. "The swift fox (Vulpes velox), is one of the smallest foxes in the world, and is only found in the Great Plains of North America. This fox is only about the size of a house cat, standing about 30 cm high and weighing about 2.7 kilograms. The swift fox gets its name because it can reach speeds of up to 40 km per hour. At one time the fox could be found in great numbers all over the Canadian grasslands of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. Their U.S. range included several states between North Dakota and Mexico. The swift fox is now endangered in 90% of its historical habitat range. The reasons for the disappearance of swift foxes in both Canada and the U.S. are uncertain, but strychnine-poisoning, intensive trapping (in the past), and habitat destruction are thought to be the primary causes. In 1973, a captive breeding program for swift foxes began in Cochrane, Alberta. The captive breeding program for these foxes, supported by Wildlife Preservation Trust of Canada (WPTC), has been very successful. With a well-established breeding program, swift fox releases began in 1983. The Swift Fox Recovery Team decided to begin in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan in an effort to reintroduce this species to its native Canadian habitat." From www.thewildones.org/Animals/swiftFox .

Saw several of these brightly coloured Parrots at the Calgary Zoo. Most of my photos of them will have to be deleted, as I just haven't mastered the challenge of photographing them through glass and with bad lighting. I certainly felt that this bird interacted with me, LOL! "Their personalities make them highly desirable pets; they have been kept as such for centuries because they are among the parrots that "talk" best. Their vocal abilities are generally considered to be bested only by the African Grey Parrot and matched by similar species such as the Yellow-naped Parrot. They are also considered loud, active, intelligent, funny, and willful. They like to test their owners and to attract the attention of visitors." From Wikipedia.

This beautiful little, cat-sized, endangered Swift Fox resides at the Calgary Zoo. I was finally lucky enough to see it, after many Zoo visits. Constantly on the move while I was there, so almost impossible to photograph : ). As you might guess, this was not the composition I would have liked, but was what I got! "Historically, Swift Foxes were found throughout southern Alberta, ranging north to the 53rd parallel, west to the Foothills and Rocky Mountains, and east to the Saskatchewan border. A rapid decline in abundance occurred during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with the last verified sighting of a Swift Fox in Alberta reported in 1938 near Manyberries. Beginning in 1983, Swift Foxes have been released in the Alberta/Saskatchewan border area as part of an intensive reintroduction program. In 1989, Swift Foxes were also released into the Milk River Ridge area in Alberta. Swift Fox populations have been established in the area bounded in the west by Manyberries, Alberta (48 kilometres from the Alberta- Saskatchewan border) and in the east by Consul, Saskatchewan (35 kilometres west of the Alberta-Saskatchewan border). The Milk River area has not been surveyed recently and it unlikely that a Swift Fox population continues to survive in the area." From www.abheritage.ca/abnature .