Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Snow Leopard

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Two days ago, on 5 October 2018, I made the most of a few hours of mixed sunshine and cloud, and made a visit to the Zoo yesterday. I find that a bright, sunny day gives more light inside the Conservatory. Not that it really mattered, as there were only three tropical butterflies left - and those three were being harassed by several young children, so I came home with just one butterfly photo. The tropical plants were in better shape and offered lots of cheery colour. Mainly because I got to the Zoo part way through the afternoon, I got no further than the Conservatory, which is always my favourite place. This visit, I did see two Red Pandas and the beautiful Giant Pandas (that are on loan to the Zoo for five (?) years). The Red Pandas are not always outside and visible, so I was happy to catch one climbing a tree. They really are beautiful animals and their long, bushy tail comes in handy to wrap around and keep the animal warm. "The Snow Leopard cannot roar, despite possessing an incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, which was previously thought to be essential for allowing the big cats to roar. However, new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the snow leopard." From Wikipedia. "The total wild population of the snow leopard is estimated at between 4,000 and 7,500 individuals. In 1972, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, (IUCN) placed the snow leopard on its Red List of Threatened Species as "Endangered," the same classification given the panda and the tiger.....There are numerous agencies working to conserve the snow leopard and its threatened mountain ecosystems." From Wikipedia. There are also 600-700 snow leopards in zoos around the world. Gobi, the baby Bactrian Camel was snuggled next to one of his parents. Managed to catch one of the Japanese Macaques when it was down on the ground, though the double wire fencing makes photos a challenge. A new addition to the Zoo is a Pallas's Cat. These animals look so funny/cute, and I was really hoping to see it, but it was curled up inside a dark log, with just its tail protruding. I was so thankful that I made this one last visit to the Zoo till next spring, as I found out that 'my' parking lot closes in a couple of days' time. This always happens each winter, and the other, main lot is out of my driving comfort zone.

One of the two beautiful Snow Leopards at the Calgary Zoo, taken on 3 November 2014, when I spent a few hours there with my youngest daughter. This rock ledge became a sleeping place for this tired animal. Sadly, the Status for Snow Leopards is Endangered. "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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Our weather took a turn for the worse yesterday evening, 8 November 2014. After a sunny day, freezing fog developed later evening, just when I had to drive home from part way across the city. It was the annual supper for a group I belong to and it was a very pleasant evening. Always good to catch up with friends. There is a warning that our roads are going to turn into “skating rinks” – never good news. Temperatures will plunge and this afternoon will be -6C with snow all day today and all day tomorrow (Monday). Temperature will be down to -14C on Tuesday, but at least the sun should be shining. I have to drive south of the city today and I’m not looking forward to it. It's -6C as I type at 6:00 am (windchill -12C) and it snowed overnight). I am so not ready for this!!

A photo from my archives, taken on 28 September 2012 at the Calgary Zoo. You can just manage to get a zoomed shot that can be sharp in the centre but somewhat blurred at either side, because you can't avoid the bars of the metal enclosure. There is a double fence, so you can't place your camera lens through the gaps. These Snow Leopards are such magnificent animals - absolutely love the colour of their eyes. It is an ENDANGERED species, so hopefully we don't lose them forever. (Took me three and a half hours to eventually get these three photos to upload this evening ... sigh).

The female Snow Leopard at the Calgary Zoo wasn't getting to chance to have babies, as the previous male apparently didn't know what he was supposed to do, LOL. When I called in at the Zoo yesterday afternoon, it was very obvious that the new male knew exaclty what to do - and often! He is a lot bigger than the female. She looks a little bedraggled here because she liked rolling in the snow : ) I'm not sure exacly when the two were allowed into the same enclosure - I believe it was within the past week and could possibly have been just yesterday. He had had to spend time in quarantine and then the two of them got used to each other a little through the chain link fence before being allowed in together. Gorgeous animals : )

Just managed to get a couple of quick shots of this beautiful, endangered Snow Leopard in between metal bars, which unfortunately, but understandably, have another fence outside them, between the visitors and the enclosure. Almost impossible to get even a half-decent shot of the two Big Cats, but sometimes you just get lucky. Taken at the Calgary Zoo on 28 September 2012. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard

One of the two beautiful Snow Leopards at the Calgary Zoo, taken on September 30th. "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 It's quarter to 1:00 in the morning and I have to be up at 5:20 a.m. (better than the 4:10 a.m. this morning!) to do the Calgary Christmas Bird Count, so I thought I'd post my photos very early, before I fall into bed. The small group I'm part of tomorrow (4 of us?) will be searching part of the NE of the city to see what birds we can find and how many of each. Today, I took part in the Canmore (near Banff in the Rocky Mountains) Christmas Bird Count. Four of us walked all the streets and alleys in the Harvey Heights area. A beautiful winter's day - yet very few of my photos turned out, ha! Have any of you seen these cute little Pixar videos (I got the links from YouTube)? I posted the links last December and happened to just come across them again afew minutes ago.. Cute little Pixar short films:- Snowman trapped in a snowglobe: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShoyXTIeqsM Table lamps playing ball: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGxoui3IFS0

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

They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, so I was doubly saddened when I got home and noticed that the cage bars are reflected in the eyes of this beautiful Snow Leopard. I so dislike photos with cage bars, but I tried and tried in vain to get my camera to make them disappear! This animal was sitting maybe three or four feet away from me, but there was an outer metal railing a little way in front of the main cage, so I couldn't get any closer. Quite breathtaking to be that close to this animal - love their eyes.

I had a choice of two photos of this beautiful and ENDANGERED Snow Leopard at the Calgary Zoo. This one with part of the head missing, or an even blurrier one that showed the whole face, LOL. They have such gorgeous eyes, and it's quite the look they give you as they walk towards you (seen through filthy glass) - much too fast to get photos properly.

This is one of two Snow Leopards at the Calgary Zoo. Though it looks as if it might be roaring, "It cannot roar, despite possessing an incomplete ossification of the hyoid bone, which was previously thought to be essential for allowing the big cats to roar. However, new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the snow leopard." From Wikipedia. "The total wild population of the snow leopard is estimated at between 4,000 and 7,500 individuals. In 1972, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, (IUCN) placed the snow leopard on its Red List of Threatened Species as "Endangered," the same classification given the panda and the tiger.....There are numerous agencies working to conserve the snow leopard and its threatened mountain ecosystems." From Wikipedia. There are also 600-700 snow leopards in zoos around the world

This gorgeous Snow Leopard was pacing backwards and forwards non-stop when I saw it at the Calgary Zoo. Hence a slightly unsharp result: ). Beautiful eyes! Taken through dirty glass : ). It is located in the enclosure where the Cougars usually are, until its own enclosure has been renovated.

The sign by the enclosure at the Zoo says: "Our Eurasian Snow Leopards are spending a few months in the Cougar exhibit at Canadian Wilds while their home is being re-furbished." "The Snow Leopard, sometimes known as the Ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of central and southern Asia. Well known for its beautiful fur, the Snow Leopard has a whitish-tan coat with ringed spots of dark, ashy-brown and rosettes of black . The fur turns white in the winter. Its tail is heavy with fur and the bottom of its paws are covered with fur for protection against snow and cold. The life span of a Snow Leopard is normally 15-18 years, but in captivity they can live up to 20 years. During the 1960s, the Snow Leopard's total population went down to 1,000 animals, but has since recovered slightly." From Wikipedia. The Conservation Status of these magnificent creatures is "Endangered."