Satanic cult blamed for ritualistic killing of Dartmoor foal which was horrifically mutilated in centre of ring of fire during full moon

By STUART WOLEDGE

Sickening: The body of this two-month-old foal was found horrifically mutilated and there are fears it is the work of Satanists

A Satanic cult has been blamed for the sickening death of a pony, which was found horrifically mutilated and laying in the remnants of a ring of fire after full moon. Police are investigating after the young male had its genitals, right ear and tongue sliced off, and eyes gouged out. It is thought the animal may have been alive when the atrocities were committed. Its belly was hacked open and the young pony also had traces of white paint on one of its legs, suggesting it was killed as part of a bizarre ceremony.

Cult: The foal was found surrounded by patches of burnt grass, suggesting candles had been lit during the ritual. It also had white paint of one of its legs It was also surrounded by circular patches of burnt moorland, which experts believe were left by a ring of torches or candles. The two-month old pony seemed to have been dragged into a clearing and placed at the foot of a slope to face the previous night’s full moon. It was found on Tuesday morning by a horse rider at Yennadon Down, a remote, area of Devon National Park.

Easy target: Experts believe ponies have become so used to humans they are vulnerable to this sort of attack. Pictured here, the foal's mother Animal welfare officers are investigating and police have appealed to the public to be extra vigilant. Horse carers believe the butchery was part of an evil occult or Pagan ceremony by Devil worshippers. Dartmoor’s Livestock Protection Officer Karla McKechnie said: 'We do get strange things happening from time to time, normally when its a full moon. 'I’ve come across strange circles in the ground, boulders used as altars, that sort of thing, but thankfully animal mutilations are rare.

Remote: The dead foal was found in Yennadon Down by a rider on Tuesday. An investigation into its grisly end is underway 'I suspect its witches or devil worshippers but it’s always hard to get to the bottom of it. 'My main concern is how someone has been able to walk up to a foal and kill it in the middle of the night.I’m almost certain more than one person was involved.' South West Equine Protection's Jenny Thornton believed Dartmoor ponies had become so used to being fed by humans they were now easy targets. She said: 'I’ve seen plenty of dead animals but this was horrendous. source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2377782/Satanic-cult-blamed-ritualistic-killing-Dartmoor-foal-horrifically-mutilated-centre-ring-moon.html My Facebook My Google+ Contact me

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Ready for take-off: Tiny owl makes its first successful flight from the top of a barn door

Photographer caught the moment a tiny owl made first flight Pictures show owl standing nervously on door's edge before leaping out By ANTHONY BOND

Wide-eyed: Perched on one leg inside a disused barn in Merseyside, these two baby owls look out into the big wide world, preparing for their first flight

For any young owl, the first flight out of the nest is a nervy occasion. And as these incredible pictures show, for this baby owl in Merseyside it was no different. Photographer Steve Ward caught the moment a tiny owl decided to make its first successful flight from its nest in a disused barn.

Nervous: The young owl appears to test the water by hanging a leg over the edge of the barn

Bold: Summoning all of his concentration, the youngster decides to leap towards the great unknown and attempt to fly for the first time Just a week ago, Mr Ward caught the owlet with a sibling each standing on one leg on a ledge of the barn. They had begun to edge out from the nest as they became more bold in readiness to fly.

Brave: With his eyes flixed on his destination, the owl launches himself into flight He has kept an eye on them ever since and finally caught one of them launching itself off the barn for its first swoop. Mr Ward , 34, set up his hide about 12 metres from the barn and was even forced to strip to his boxers in the sweltering heat inside as he waited up to 17 hours a day to get the shots.

Success: The owl passes its first major test in life by stretching out its wings and flying with ease He said: 'I loved the pictures I got last week, especially the one of the pair of owlets each standing on one leg. 'It is the one on the left that I finally captured flying. 'I could tell by how bold they were becoming, edging out onto the ledge to be fed by their mum, that they were getting ready to learn to fly. 'I erected my pop-up hide at 5am on site and waited patiently for the juveniles to appear in a hole in the barn door, about four feet off the ground.' 'It was a mere five hours until one appeared.' Mr Ward said it was at about 10am when one tiny owl showed its face. He said: 'Looking confident it stretched its wings, checked the flight equipment and posed like a true caped crusader.

Hungry: The two young owls had earlier been spotted wrestling over a large worm

Dedicated: The photographer waited up to 17 hours a day to get the shots 'Then it scratched the surface beneath its feet to make sure the ground was firm, checked the sky for clearance and potential predators and took a leap - straight down on the grass below like a cannon ball. 'It all happened incredibly quickly and the pictures of it on the ground looked very messy. I was also laughing at the sight in my camouflaged hide. 'Flapping its wings it managed to hop back up on the barn door for a second and third attempt as its mother hooted encouragement from a tree about 45 feet away. 'On the fourth attempt he avoided the drop and took to the sky giving me a great shot against the dark light coming from the gap in the barn door and being lit by the gorgeous morning sunlight outside.' Mr Ward said that the conditions did make the shoot difficult. He said: 'After a 17 hour shoot in the hide from 5am to 9pm I was exhausted and down to literally my boxer shorts as it was 28 degrees and with no breeze in the hide it gets seriously hot. It was a good job I took a few litres of water with me. 'But these are lengths us nature photographers have to go to to get and witness such wonderful moments such as these. 'It was a first for me and one I will never forget.' source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2378046/Tiny-owl-pictured-making-successful-flight-barn-door.html My Facebook My Google+ Contact me

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It's raining cats and frogs! When it gets too wet even for an amphibian...

By HELEN COLLIS

This tiny little frog was snapped clinging to a leaf to shelter from the rain in a downpour in Jember, East Java, Indonesia

While millions of Brits swap sun hats for brollies today, this resourceful little frog was snapped sheltering from the rain - using a leaf as an UMBRELLA. Photographer Penkdix Palme, 27, caught the tiny tree frog sheltering from the rain in his neighbour's back garden. The aqua-phobic amphibian clung on to the stem of the green leaf for an impressive 30 minutes as it was lashed by wind and rain. In this fascinating series of photographs, the two-inch high frog appears to angle the makeshift umbrella towards the direction of the downpour.

The clever little amphibian clung to its 'umbrella' leaf for 30 minutes as the rain fell all around him Large droplets of water gather at the bottom of the leaf and surrounding branch while the clever frog remains protected. Penkdix, who only took up photography six months ago, said he was shocked when he stumbled upon the unusual scene in his hometown of Jember, East Java, Indonesia.

He avoided taking a battering by the rain drops, which instead collected on the leaf above him

It seems the frog wasn't too fussy on which style of 'umbrella' to opt for source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2375183/When-things-wet-frog-.html My Facebook My Google+ Contact me

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Will you play with me? Baby giraffe frolics round a field after befriending a butterfly

By LAURA COX

Dinner time: At first the baby giraffe is quite happy to hang out with her mom and nibble on some fresh grass

A baby giraffe showed off her dancing skills as she enjoyed the sunshine gracefully frolicking around with a butterfly at the Bronx Zoo.
The month-old calf caught a glimpse of the butterfly as it flew into her enclosure, where she was nuzzling her mom and enjoying a tasty snack of grass.
At first she stays close to her mom, not sure what to make of the fluttering insect, but she doesn’t stay coy for long. She shakes off a grooming attempt from her mom, like any youngster eager to go out and explore.
Clearly intrigued by the unexpected visitor the Baringo giraffe bounds playfully after it galloping round in a huge circle as she plays hide-and-seek with her new friend.

But what's that?! Something far more exciting catches her eye and she abandons the snack

Unsure: The giraffe seems a little tentative at first, unsure what to make of the new visitor

But the butterfly doesn’t hang about within reach of the 9-foot tall giraffe. It scarpers faster than the giraffe can make chase, still wobbly on its newborn legs.
Realising she is back where she started from the giraffe looks up at her mom, looking puzzled by the whole experience.
‘It’s a learning curve, dear’ her mom seems to say as she cranes her neck south to give her daughter a sloppy kiss.

And she's off! Gleefully the young calf bounds off after her new friend, in typically graceful fashion


Gerroff, mom! Before she knows it the baby giraffe is back with her mom, puzzled at how quickly her game ended

source: dailymail

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Who's NOT a pretty boy, then? Nelson, the baby parrot, who could be the ugliest bird in the world

By SIMON TOMLINSON

Who are you calling ugly? Nelson the parrot chick adapts to life after being rejected by his parents following his birth at Bergzoo in Germany

He has a face that only a mother could love. But sadly for poor Nelson, his didn't.
The parrot chick, who must surely be a contender for the ugliest bird in the world, was rejected by his parents after he hatched. However, he can at least take some comfort in the knowledge that he will one day grow up to be an attractive Kea parrot.
Nelson, who has been described as looking like a cross between an alien and a roast chicken, was born last month at Bergzoo in Germany. He was the only one of three eggs laid by his mother to survive and hatch, but was promptly rejected by his parents.

It hasn't cracked, yet: Nelson admires his very unique features, described as looking like a cross between an alien and a roast chicken, in the mirror

Vulnerable: Nelson was the only one of three eggs laid by his mother to survive and is now being looked after by zoo staff

As such, the youngster is now being cared for around the clock by staff and spent the first four weeks of his life in an incubator.
Keas are large parrots native to the alpine regions of New Zealand that are known for their intelligence and curiosity.
Adults are mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange flash under their wings.


Ugly no longer: Nelson will eventually blossom into a beautiful Kea parrot like this one

source: dailymail

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Don't play with your food: What happened when a leopard befriended a cute baby antelope? (Actually, you probably don't want to know)

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Fearless: The baby Steenbok wanders away from the leopard but the big cat doesn't take her eyes off her prey

It may look like one of nature's heartwarming interactions but the outcome sadly does not have a happy ending.
This at first apparently playful encounter between leopard and newborn steenbok (part of the antelope family) was captured by a safari guide in the Sabi Sand Game reserve, in South Africa.
The big cat seemed to want to make friends with the calf for 45 minutes and the small creature was so unafraid of the predator it even tried to suckle milk from it.
But then nature opened up its powerful claw and the leopard decided playing with the Bambi lookalike was probably not as much fun as eating it. In a flash, he killed the newborn, which had foolishly ventured out into the brush after being hidden in a nearby bush by its terrified mother, who was powerless to intervene.
Safari guide, Marius Croetzee, 30, from Durban, was travelling by Land Rover he and his clients witnessed nature at its most heart-wrenching from only six yards away.

The large leopard played with the calf for 45 minutes and the small creature was so unafraid of the predator it even tried to suckle milk from it

Marius said: 'I got a call over the radio that a female leopard were located close to the lodge and that she was busy stalking.
'The mother stashed the lamb in thick scrub while feeding nearby, when it was caught she ran away for her own safety.
'It is not uncommon for a leopard to make more than one kills if the opportunity presents itself.

The calf's terrified mother was powerless to intervene and stop the baby being killed and eaten

'Upon arriving at the scene I witnessed the leopard sitting with the steenbok in her paws. The lamb was new born and completely oblivious to the danger it was in.
'It had no fear, and at one stage even tried to suckle from the female leopard. This was a first for me in and in more than 12 years of safari guiding I have not seen it again
'People were absolutely amazed and felt sad, but they realised that this is nature in its rawest form.'

The leopard eventually got bored and killed the calf, which was only hours old

source: dailymail

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'I nearly lost my hand to Britain's most poisonous spider': Woman bitten while she SLEPT by close relative of deadly Black Widow that lives in UK

By LUKE SALKELD

Recovering: Catherine Coombs woke up in excruciating pain when she rolled over and was bitten by the false widow on the back of the left hand

For anyone with a fear of spiders, having one crawl into your bed and bite you is truly the stuff of nightmares.
But for Catherine Coombs, the nightmare is still continuing almost two months later, as a bite – believed to have been from the UK’s most venomous species of spider – nearly caused her to lose her left hand.
The 48-year-old woke up in excruciating pain one night in February, and her hand began to swell dramatically.
She was taken to hospital, where surgeons operated on her three times to remove the poison and decaying flesh and to try to prevent the venom from spreading up her arm.
At one point her condition was so bad doctors feared they would have to amputate her hand.

Deadly bite: Catherine Coombs from near Poole, Dorset, spent six weeks in hospital recovering from the venomous bite of the false widow

Her body temperature plummeted as the skin infection cellulitis set in and an inflamed patch on one of her legs even sparked concerns it had spread via her bloodstream.
Mrs Coombs has spent six weeks in hospital and is now at home waiting for the infection to leave her body before she can have her tendons, which were left paralysed, rebuilt.
From the nature of the marks on her hand and her symptoms, doctors believe the culprit is likely to have been a noble false widow spider, named after its similarity in appearance to the black widow spider.
Mrs Coombs, a former medical photographer who lives near Poole, Dorset, said: ‘I have been terrified of spiders all my life.

Race against the clock: Surgeons operated on her three times to remove the poison and decaying flesh to prevent the venom from spreading up her arm

‘People tell you it’s such a silly phobia and they can’t hurt you, but now I know that they can.’
She added: ‘For a while the doctors were worried that I may even lose the hand completely and I had to sign for amputation every time I went under anaesthetic.
‘Every time the surgeons operated they found more and more decay. They just kept taking away the dead flesh. Every time I woke up I made sure my hand was still there.’
She continued: ‘For the first week I felt very poorly and had a very high temperature and felt like I had a really bad case of the flu.

‘Or they could fall on babies in prams. In the old days you used to put nets over prams, but you rarely see them now.’
Noble false widow spiders are about the size of a 50p piece but have the most venomous bite of any spider in the UK.
They tend to be found more commonly in southern England but it is thought they are now spreading further across the country due to climate change.
For the most part, they bite only when provoked, and Mrs Coombs believes she may have caused the one that attacked her to bite after rolling on to it as she slept.
In February, father-of-one Chris Galton, 31, collapsed after being bitten ten times by a false widow spider on the back and neck in Southampton.

source: dailymail

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Owner of cocker spaniel who burned to death in 'drying' cage at dog groomers tells of her horror at losing her beloved pet

By ANTHONY BOND and ANDY DOLAN

Much loved: Maureece with Trudie the cocker spaniel

A spaniel was virtually cooked to death in a home-made drying cage after her owner dropped her at a dog groomer.
The next time Maureece Sarell saw her pet Trudie, the animal was critically ill at a vet’s. A court heard the seven-year-old had to be put down after suffering internal bleeding, blistered skin and dehydration.
Magistrates were told the golden cocker spaniel spent 20 minutes in groomer Jo Taylor’s contraption – made from a tarpaulin-covered steel cage with a heater attached. When she released the pet she realised something was wrong and took her to the vet, but little could be done to ease the animal’s suffering.
Taylor, 31, was convicted of failing in her duty of care towards the animal following a prosecution brought by the RSPCA.
Yesterday, an inspector said Trudie’s death highlighted the need for stricter controls on the unlicensed dog grooming trade.

Devoted: Maureece described how she has only ever been apart from Trudie for 10 days

Taylor admitted the injuries were caused while Trudie was in her care but said the cage was a popular method of drying dogs.
Before the incident in October, 81 dogs had used the cage – including her own pet for as long as 70 minutes at a time, the court heard.
She told Leicester Magistrates’ Court: ‘I’ve also groomed 100 more dogs since the incident and no problems have been encountered.’

Horrific: Trudie the cocker spaniel was literally burned to death in a homemade dog drying cage which she was left to cook in for 20 minutes. This picture shows the injuries she suffered

The groomer said Trudie ‘made a little whimpering sound’ when she put her in the cage, which was ‘normal for a lot of dogs’, and claimed she had been standing beside the cage the entire length of time the pet was inside.
Magistrates, however, said they found it ‘difficult to accept’ evidence that Trudie was checked every few minutes.
Taylor, who ran Yensid Dog Grooming from her home in Wigston, Leicester, was cleared of causing unnecessary suffering but convicted of failing in her duty of care.
She was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £350 costs.

Awful: The seven-year-old doe-eyed golden cocker spaniel suffered burns and internal injuries after being placed in the cage by dog groomer Jo Taylor

Trudie's owner Maureece Sarell, a nurse, fought back the tears the final moments of her beloved pet were revealed.
After the case, divorcee Mrs Sarell, 55, said: ‘It’s disgraceful that Trudie was left in that box unsupervised.’
RSPCA inspector Sally Kearns said: ‘The injuries were absolutely horrific.
‘It was basically the same as when a dog is left in a car on a hot day. You can only imagine the pain.’
She said groomers often use similar cages to dry dogs and she had seen other animals burned by groomers.


Much-loved: Trudie is pictured before she died. After being in the heater, her skin had started to peel and blister and tests showed that she was dehydrated

Heartbreaking: After realising the extent of her injuries, the vet and Trudie's owner, Maureece Sarell, agreed to save her suffering and have her put down

She said: 'It was the only time she moved the whole time she was there when I arrived, the vets said she hadn't shown any signs of life before then.
'She was black and blue and I have seen a lot of things in my life as a nurse but that was one of the worst things I have ever seen.
'Trudie was at the vets being treated until about half past five in the afternoon, it was then she was put to sleep.'

The offending business: A sign at the firm owned by Taylor

Mrs Sarell shared her bedroom with Trudie, who had a basket at the end of her bed, and said she was numb after her best friend's death.
She said: 'I had only ever been apart from her for ten days since we had her as a puppy.
'This wasn't the first time she had been to be groomed but I had no idea about the "homemade dryer" Jo was using.
'I actually went around to see Jo after it happened and she had the dryer on then, it was very loud and I can't see how you could hear anything over it.'
Vet Emma Drabble said Trudie was given antibiotics and pain relief before having aloe vera and bandages applied to her wounds.
Ms Drabble said: 'Her skin had started to peel and blister and when we took a blood sample it showed she was dehydrated.

Dangerous: This image shows the homemade cage which was used at Yensid Dog Grooming

Homemade: Jo Taylor runs Yensid Dog Grooming from her home in Wigston, Leicestershire, pictured

Before October, 81 dogs, including her own, had used the cage.
She said: 'I’ve also groomed 100 more dogs since the incident and no problems have been encountered.'
Taylor said she had placed her own pet in the device for 70 minutes with no ill effects.
Magistrate Peter Tyler said: 'We find it difficult to accept the evidence that the dog, Trudie, was checked every few minutes.
'The injuries were caused during the drying process. You failed in your duty to keep her from harm.'
Taylor was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £350 court costs.
After the trial Mrs Sarrell said: 'I can't believe she is still allowed to groom dogs.'


Suffering: Magistrate Peter Tyler said he found it difficult to accept the evidence that Trudie was checked every few minutes while in the heater. Maureece Sarrell is pictured left

source: dailymail

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Another National tragedy: Despite public outcry after last year's carnage at Aintree, two more horses die at notorious jump - including the Gold Cup w

By MARTIN DELGADO


By a whisker: In this handout image provided by Racetech, the official photofinish shows grey horse Neptune Collonges edging a nose past Sunnyhillboy

The Grand National faced fresh controversy yesterday after two horses died during the race despite the introduction of new safety measures.
Millions of television viewers saw Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised, one of the favourites, fall at Becher’s Brook fence. The horse was later put down.
The second victim of the infamous fence, which has claimed more lives than any other in the iconic race, was According To Pete, which was put down after breaking its neck. Two other horses, Killyglen and Weird Al, were last night being examined by vets after being injured during the race. Their conditions were not thought to be life threatening.
The incident-packed 165th Grand National was one of the most dramatic in history.
Neptune Collonges won the race in the closest ever finish. Sunnyhillboy finished second and Seabass, ridden by Katie Walsh – hoping to become the first female jockey to win the National – finished third.

On the run-in: The two horses, Neptune Collonges the grey and Sunnyhillboy to the left, were neck and neck only a few yards from the line

But it was the fatalities that last night sparked a furious debate, with the RSPCA calling for an ‘urgent examination’ of the race.
The deaths came despite the introduction of new safety measures. Almost £250,000 was spent by Aintree officials to implement the recommendations of a safety review following a public outcry over the deaths last year of Dooney’s Gate, also at Becher’s Brook, and Ornais.

Tight: This shot shows just how close the finish was - with Neptune Collonges's nose just poking ahead

They included changes to three fences that have claimed half of the fallers since 1990 and a raft of other measures including stricter pre-race screenings. Becher’s Brook, made of spruce trees, is notorious because of the size and angle of the 6ft 9in drop on the landing side, which is lower than the take-off.
Since 2000, 35 horses have died during the three-day Aintree meeting.
The death of Synchronised came after its jockey Tony McCoy had earlier been unseated by the horse in the moments leading to the start of the race, raising questions over whether the favourite was fit to race.

Jubilant: Neptune Collonges and Daryl Jacob celebrate their National success

The horse went on to fall at Becher’s on the first circuit before carrying on and falling again at the 11th fence, where it broke its leg. According To Pete fell at Becher’s after colliding with another horse on the second circuit.
There was further drama as jockey Noel Fehily was taken to hospital with a suspected broken leg after being unseated from State Of Play at the fifth fence.
One fence had to be bypassed on the second circuit for the jockey to be treated by medics. In all, just 15 of the 40 horses that started the race finished.
Gavin Grant, chief executive of the RSPCA, said: ‘The death of two horses at the Grand National, bringing the total to three at the Aintree meeting, is totally unacceptable.

Fatal fall: AP McCoy and Synchronised fall after the sixth fence. The horse had to be put down on the course

‘This is the second year running that two horses have died. In it’s current format, the risks to horses are not appropriate and we want an urgent examination of the Grand National, including a number of fences including Becher’s Brook where horses are continuing to die despite safety improvements.’
Mr Grant also questioned whether the whip was overused in the final stages of the race, adding: ‘If that is the case it is totally unacceptable and, given the narrow margin of the win, I believe the result should be reversed.’


Elated: Trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Daryl Jacob celebrate therr victory in the John Smith's Grand National Chase

Carnage: Horses jump Beechers Brook at the start of the race. There were two confirmed fatalities

Tumble: Jockey James Reveley, centre, falls from Always Right at The Chair fence during the Grand National

Thrills and spills: James Reveley rolls away from the crash. A number of other fallers in the race will renew calls for smaller fences

Neptune Collonges runs clears as According to Pete and jockey Henry Haynes and On His Own and Paul Townshend fall at Bechers


Mummy's boy: Coleen looked in her element playing with two-year-old Kai. Wayne was getting ready for his football

source: dailymail

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