Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: © Anne Elliott 2008

"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/

This is another plant that I rarely come across, but I did find it in my archives from almost three years ago. I needed this image for something the other day and thought I'd add it to my Plants of Alberta Set here, too. This was taken at Hawkwood Natural Area. This RARE, native plant grows from Alberta to Manitoba south to New Mexico, Arkansas. This species is known locally as Large Indian Breadroot. The shift from Psoralea to Pediomelum is an example of a recent trend of renaming North American genera and species. Belongs to the Fabaceae family and blooms June-July. www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2006/11/pediomelum_escule... www.talkaboutwildlife.ca/profile/index.php?s=1185

The Calgary Zoo has a ranch just south of the city and once a year we get the chance to visit. The ranch is a 320-acre captive breeding facility at DeWinton, and is not open to the public. It also serves as a Zoo quarantine and holding area for everything from elk to zebras. There is also a wonderful Whooping Crane breeding program. This photo was taken on 4th October 2008. "The horses at the Calgary Zoo ranch ain’t never been rode – and they ain’t never going to be. They’re Przewalski horses, the world’s only truly wild breed, and the Zoo’s mandate is to keep them wild. Also known as Asian horses, Mongolian Wild horses or Takhi, they were native to Asia and became extinct in the wild. Their captive breeding is now monitored under a worldwide Species Survival Plan, an international program that controls the breeding of most zoo animals today. All the estimated 1,500 Przewalskis today are descended from 13 ancestors captured in Mongolia during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, at least 60 Przewalski horses live on their own at Hustain Huruu, a Mongolian steppe area. Przewalskis are virtually untameable, suspicious and very difficult to manage compared to modern domesticated breeds." From article by Tyler Trafford in Canadian Country Cowboy magazine. www.canadiancowboy.ca/features/the_zoo_ranch.html

Not the best composition in the world, but I just liked the white hairy spines against the beautiful background colours. Photographed in a friend's garden on 3rd October 2008. WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR CITY OF CALGARY! Close to 20 cm of snow from Friday Evening to Saturday Evening. Think I'd better get myself ready and go and buy desperately needed food before all the snow arrives.

This photo of Castle Mountain dates back to 30th January 2008. This is the view from the highway as you drive westwards from Calgary. "Seeming to stand out in the centre of the valley is a very remarkable mountain... which looks exactly like a giant castle." When Sir Sandford Fleming travelled up the valley during the construction of the CPR he seemed to agree with the appropriateness of the name, writing, "Westward we see Castle Mountain to our right. The resemblance to Cyclopean masonary has doubtless suggested the name, for it is marked by huge masses of castellated-looking work, with turreted flanks. One of the most imposing peaks in the Bow Valley, the bold, castellated southwest front of the mountain dominates the view for much of the journey from Banff to Lake Louise, its bulk, prominent position and reddish colour combining to make this a favourite of many who pass this way." From rmbooks.com/Peakfinder/peakfinder.asp?PeakName=Castle+Mou... .

Gosh, I took this photo of Canada Goose goslings way back on 3rd May last year, at Carburn Park. I kept coming across it, but never got round to checking whether I had already uploaded it to my Flickr photostream. Apparently, I hadn't, and so here it is : ) If we can just get the next three months behind us, spring won't be all that far away ... sigh. Sounds so good!

The Black-capped Chickadee is such a popular little bird, with its "friendly, trusting" nature. They often fly down in certain locations as soon as they see you. This little one flew down to a friend's hand in Fish Creek Park. A reminder to everyone - feeding of wildlife, including birds, is forbidden in Fish Creek Park, a Provincial park. A hefty fine could be given if someone is caught.

Took this photo on what must have been the coldest day of winter 2007/2008. This poor little female House Sparrow was so puffed up that she was barely recognizable as a member of that species : )