Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: formerly Siberian Tiger

Ha, when I opened this photo this morning, I can see why I had never posted it before - too blurry for my liking! Taken at the Calgary Zoo on 16 April 2013. Not sure which two tigers these are - maybe Mom and one of her three cubs? Born on March 30, 2012, the two male cubs were almost full grown when they were moved to the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, on a recommendation from the Species Survival Plan (SSP), based on the genetics of these Endangered animals for future breeding. "The Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Amur tiger, is a tiger subspecies inhabiting mainly the Sikhote Alin mountain region with a small population in southwest Primorye province in the Russian Far East. In 2005, there were 331–393 adult and subadult Amur tigers in this region, with a breeding adult population of about 250 individuals. The population had been stable for more than a decade due to intensive conservation efforts, but partial surveys conducted after 2005 indicate that the Russian tiger population is declining." From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_tiger

All three "cubs" were in a sleepy heap along with Mom when I visited the Calgary Zoo on 16 April 2013. These are two of the cubs, who have grown so big that they aren't that much smaller than the adults now - still very playful, though. The three beautiful but endangered Amur Tiger cubs were born March 30, 2012 at the Calgary Zoo. They were out in the main enclosure, but I managed to zoom in fully to avoid most of the faint blur from the wire fence. Three new animals make such a wonderful addition to the endangered Amur Tiger population. By the way, the Tigers have a huge area of trees, grass, fallen logs and a small creek running through the area - not like being in the wild, of course, but so much better than a small cage. They also have just a very small separated area, with a hammock, where certain animals can be separated when necessary, for various reasons. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_tiger Later note added on 14 June 2012: Tigers that used to be known as Siberian Tigers are now known as Amur Tigers. The name change is because their range now only includes the Amur Valley in Eastern Siberia. The link below is from YouTube, showing the three Amur Tiger cubs at the Calgary Zoo. This video from the den box camera was taken on Friday, April 20. youtu.be/XFyAFe0nCeY

Didn't have time to add a description to my three photos this morning, as I had to meet a group of friends at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary early this morning. After walking all morning, I think the highlight was seeing several Mountain Bluebirds down on the pebbles at the edge of the Bow River. Usually, you have to go out of the city to see these birds, but occasionally they do come within city limits. We also saw a Harlan's Hawk, flying high in the sky, plus some of the "usual suspects" such as Chickadees and Nuthatches. The sun was out today and it felt SO good. We've all been waiting for this to happen. The Calgary Zoo is only a few minutes' drive away from the Bird Sanctuary, so I always try and call in afterwards, even though I was there just a week ago. The Boston Marathon tragedy (along with the ongoing Jodi Arias death penalty trial down in the US), makes for difficult TV watching, so a break for sunshine and fresh air was good. How I feel for all those people facing such an unimaginably horrific time. This photo was taken a week ago, on 9 April 2013. Mom and her three cubs were in the small area away from the main, open enclosure, so it's somewhat easier to get a closer photo. I couldn't believe how huge the cubs are now - not all that far off from full size, really, but still very playful. When I was there just after lunch today, they were all out in the snow in the main enclosure. "Siberian (or Amur) tigers are the world's largest cats. They live primarily in eastern Russia's birch forests, though some exist in China and North Korea. There are an estimated 400 to 500 Siberian tigers living in the wild, and recent studies suggest that these numbers are stable. Though their northern climate is far harsher than those of other tigers, these animals have some advantages. Northern forests offer the lowest human density of any tiger habitat, and the most complete ecosystem. The vast woodlands also allow tigers far more room to roam, as Russia's timber industry is currently less extensive than that of many other countries." animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/siberian-t...

All three "cubs" were in a sleepy heap along with Mom when I visited the Calgary Zoo on 16 April 2013. These are two of the cubs, who have grown so big that they aren't that much smaller than the adults now - still very playful, though. The three beautiful but endangered Amur Tiger cubs were born March 30, 2012 at the Calgary Zoo. They were out in the main enclosure, but I managed to zoom in fully to avoid most of the faint blur from the wire fence. Three new animals make such a wonderful addition to the endangered Amur Tiger population. By the way, the Tigers have a huge area of trees, grass, fallen logs and a small creek running through the area - not like being in the wild, of course, but so much better than a small cage. They also have just a very small separated area (seen in my image above), with a hammock, where certain animals can be separated when necessary, for various reasons. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_tiger Later note added on 14 June 2012: Tigers that used to be known as Siberian Tigers are now known as Amur Tigers. The name change is because their range now only includes the Amur Valley in Eastern Siberia. The link below is from YouTube, showing the three Amur Tiger cubs at the Calgary Zoo. This video from the den box camera was taken on Friday, April 20. youtu.be/XFyAFe0nCeY