I knew I shouldn't have had that last piece of sweetcorn: Prairie dog pup needs a nap after eating too much

By STEVE NOLAN

Flat out: This cute prairie dog pup needed a lie down after indulging in too much fruit and vegetables while having a break from playing with its mother

At just a few days old and on his first adventure outside of his underground burrow home, it's little wonder that this tiny prairie dog pup overindulged on tasty snacks and needed to lie down.
Surrounded by fresh fruit and vegetables that were almost as big as them, the pup and his siblings weren't shy in tucking in to their lunch while out playing with their mother.
Two of the siblings even nibbled on the same lettuce leaf as they enjoyed their healthy meal.

Hungry: The little animals aren't shy in tucking into their healthy lunch at Maryland Zoo, Baltimore

Animal loving photographer Jen Lockridge spent more than an hour watching the pups play with their mother at Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
Jen, from Annapolis, Maryland, said: 'I was amused to watch the younger pups sitting in the exhibit surrounded by animal chow that was almost bigger than them.

Adventure: The mischievous creatures were enjoying one of their first forays outside of their underground burrow

'The prairie dogs are fun to watch as they are very active and clever.'
The black-tailed prairie dogs live in family territories called coteries.
There's usually one male, around three females and their babies in each group.

Tucking in: Two of the siblings share a piece of food as they enjoy lunch in the Baltimore sun

Loving: Mother keeps a protective eye on her pubs as she was photographed playing and sharing lunch with her offspring

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Is this the cutest cat in the world? Lil Bub melting hearts as she becomes the latest feline internet sensation

By STEVE NOLAN

So cute: Lil Bub, the latest famous feline to become a global web sensation, is pictured posing with her favourite cuddly toy

She has her own clothing label, book, millions of followers on Facebook and Twitter, counts Hollywood stars as her friends and her debut film has just been shown at an acclaimed film festival.
And looking at these cute snaps of the star it's easy to see why.
Lil Bub the cat is the latest feline sensation sweeping the web and earning legions of fans across the globe.

Much-loved: The disabled cat has millions of followers on social media websites, her own blog and fashion label

But Lil Bub has become a worldwide internet hit despite her unusual look - she suffers a rare bone deformity which leaves her unable to close her mouth and her tongue almost constantly sticking out.
The tiny cat's disability also means she has no teeth, a deformity in her paws, and six claws.

Relaxing: The cat became an internet hit after her owner Michael Bridavsky began posting pictures on the blog of his recording studio

But she has followed in the pawsteps of other famous felines such as Maru and Grumpy Cat and hit the big time.
Her rise to stardom began when owner Michael Bridavsky began taking pictures of Lil Bub with some of the music artists who came to record at his Indiana music studio.

Popular: Lil Bub's first film debuted at the acclaimed Tribeca film festival last week

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Thanks dad: Orphaned chimpanzee who is now star of new Disney film pictured embracing his adopted father who saved him from death in the jungle

By SHARI MILLER

Cuddles with daddy: Oscar sleeps inside the protective arms of his adopted father Freddy, as captured in Disney's new documentary, Chimpanzee

After he was orphaned two years ago, scientists did not think a young chimp could survive without help from an adopted parent - and least of all from the alpha male.
But that's exactly what happened to 'Oscar', the star of new Disney documentary, Chimpanzee, when he was welcomed in by patriarch 'Freddy'.

Alone: Oscar was orphaned after his mother was killed, possibly by a leopard

Having previously shown great aggression over the other males to secure leadership of his chimp colony, Freddy now proved he could also be the daddy of them all.Never before have film-makers or scientists witnessed a male taking on the mothering role of a young baby in this way.
They watched in amazement as Freddy showed a tenderness towards the young orphan. He allowed tiny Oscar to ride on his back, cracked nuts for him and delicately groomed his fur.

Helping hand: Freddy cracks open nuts for the orphaned Oscar

Before long, Freddy was sharing his nest with Oscar cradled inside his massive arms.
Such an adoption, which is extremely rare, is captured in all its poignancy in the film, which is released in the UK next month.

Father and son: The adoption of Oscar by a dominant male like Freddy surprised scientists

World-renowned primatologist Professor Christophe Boesch, who has spent more than 30 years studying the chimpanzees of Taï Forest National Park in Africa's Ivory Coast, where the filming took place, said such behaviour in the animal kingdom was almost unheard of.
‘I’ve never seen a male like Freddy take up the role of a mother like that,’ he said.

Swing time: Oscar plays among the woodland of the Tai Forest, in Africa's Ivory Coast

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Just don't try to wake them up! Adorable moment two lions settle down for afternoon snooze in the sun

By MARK DUELL

Sweet: The adorable moment two big cats settled down for an afternoon snooze in the sun was captured on camera by British photographer Mike Krom

It might remind you of a game for quietening down children, where they lie down on the floor and try to remain still while someone tries to disturb them.
But although these sleeping lions might look exceptionally cute now in the sunshine - they would probably look a lot scarier if you tried to wake them up.

The adorable moment two big cats settled down for an afternoon snooze in the sun was captured on camera by British photographer Mike Krom. They looked at ease in the Portuguese sunshine at Lisbon Zoo, and at one point the larger male gently put one of his paws on the other lion.

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We knew there was a dog in there somewhere: Womble is shorn of his 2lb 'fleece' after years of neglect

By PAUL HARRIS

Groomed: Womble the Lhasa Apso after having 2lb of excess fur removed by Dogs Trust staff

Dumped in a park, he looked like a cross between some tumbleweed and the contents of a barber shop’s bin.
But the shocking shaggy dog story of Womble the Lhasa Apso had a happy ending yesterday – after he was rescued and given a smart new haircut.
The three-year-old dog was found abandoned and seriously neglected, with fur so overgrown and matted he could barely walk or see.

Abandoned: Womble was found in a park in Leeds by a concerned member of the public

Only his tongue was visible beneath the tangle, thick with dirt and debris and containing rubbish ranging from a strip of Velcro to a sticky chocolate sweet – which led his rescuers to name him after the litter-collecting Wombles of Wimbledon Common. Staff at the Dogs Trust rehoming charity, which took in Womble, believe he had not been groomed for more than a year.
Emma Cooper, assistant manager of the organisation’s Leeds centre, said: ‘He was struggling to walk, he could hardly see and with the fur weighing as much as a bag of sugar, he was in some discomfort and under intense strain.’

Care: The dog was taken in by the local Dogs Trust and given a thorough grooming

It took two hours to shave off more than 2lb of fur, equivalent to about an eighth of Womble’s body weight. The discarded fur formed a bundle almost as big as him when placed beside him.
A concerned member of the public found three-year-old Womble in a park in Leeds and took him in to the local Dogs Trust.

Quizzical: Womble looks at the pile of shorn fur, which appears to be nearly as big as he is

When staff examined the unfortunate dog, they found pieces of Velcro and a chocolate sweet stuck in his fur.
Assistant manager Emma Cooper said Womble's 2lb burden of hair put immense strain on his body, and estimated that it had been a year since he was last groomed.
'Womble was brought to us by a member of the public just over a week ago and was a very immobile dog,' she said.

Playful: Womble is now back on top form after handlers helped him get over his harrowing ordeal

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It looks like someone's in the dog house! Three-month-old Jack Russell gets a ticking off from his mother for harassing his grandma

By JAMES RUSH

Ticking off: Jackie the three-month-old Jack Russell is 'told off' by its mother

This young Jack Russell got a jolly good barking at when his lively antics went a step too far.
The three-month-old puppy, appropriately called Jackie, was pinned up against the wall by his seven-year-old mother Morha after he became a bit too boisterous.
His mother decided to step in to deal out the rough justice after Jackie had been harassing his ten-year-old grandmother Mowa.

Rough justice: Jackie was given the stern telling-off after his mother became fed up of his boisterous behaviour

Wildlife photographer Jack Perks captured the action while walking with a friend and their pets on holiday in Halwill, Devon.
The telling-off didn't last too long however as they started to play together before carrying on with their walk.
He said: 'The dogs were making the most of the sun and the little one was bothering its grandmother.

Sorry mum! Jackie appears a little sheepish after his telling off

'When Jackie's playful nature got a bit boisterous, his mother stepped in and seemed to tell him off by pressing him against the wall.
'But it was all in good fun as they had a play with each other before trotting on.'
The pictures offer a revealing insight into the relationship dynamics between dogs and their parents.

Abashed: With his head bowed, Jackie walks off with his mother after she told him off for being boisterous

In the dog house: Jackie the 3-month old Jack Russell puppy faces his grandmother Mowa (left) and his mother Morha (right)

Mother and son: Morha and Jackie quickly made up after the telling off and were soon carrying on with their walk

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In for a ruff ride: Trio of dogs hit the open road in a sidecar attached to owner's motorcycle in Australia

By KERRY MCDERMOTT

Faithful companions: Mary Mayhead treats her dogs Hine, Mari and Kiri to a spin in the sidecar of her motorcycle

This trio of furry bikers likes nothing more than to feel the wind in their ears.
So whenever Mary Mayhead hits the open road in her Moto Guzzi motorcycle, she brings her three pet dogs along for the ride.

Ruff ride: The three dogs sported goggles for their trip in the sidecar no Australia's Sunshine Coast

Alsatians Mari, Kiri and Hine have even been kitted out with their own goggles - or 'doggles' -
for their trips along Australia's Sunshine Coast in their owner's sidecar.
'When I bring out the bike, they run into it,' said Ms Mayhead, a dog trainer.

Open road: The biker says her three pet pooches love to feel the wind in their faces

I call shotgun: Kiri usually claims the best spot at the front of the sidecar, leaving Mari and Hine to perch behind, Ms Mayhead said

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Talk about pigheaded... this one's got two: Piglet fights for survival after being born with rare deformity

By SARA MALM

Seeing double: According to this little piglet there is-nout wrong with having two heads

Talk about being pig-headed! This newborn piglet may prove to be twice as stubborn as its siblings as it has not one, but two heads.
The little pig saw the light of day in a village in Jiujiang, east China's Jiangxi province and has two snouts, two ears and a shared eye.

Unfortunately a local vet who examined the rare pig said the deformity would make it difficult for it to survive to adulthood. The condition is believed to be axial bifurcation, also known as polycephaly, which occurs when an embryo begins to split into twins but the process is haltered in its early stages.

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Mum Fu Panda! Mother playfully teases her cute cub in heart-warming video

By JOHN HUTCHINSON

The mother panda tips her cub upside down and appears to be tickling...

They are widely-thought of as being one of the 'cutest' animals in the world.
That may be much to do with the way they look, but in this heart-warming video, a mother's playful nature towards her child has displayed similar traits in a panda's behaviour.
Panda cubs face a tricky few days and weeks after birth, at high risk of disease as well as being smothered by their parents.

...but the cub attempts a getaway...

And while the mother in this clip does at times seem forgetful of the tender nature of her cub, viewers at the Chinese enclosure were treated to a real exhibition of family fun.
At times, the mother looks as though she is tickling the infant with her nose, with the cub trying its best to shield its tender areas.

...but the little play thing doesn't get very far and is 'captured' by mum

The little one then makes a dash for it, using its agility to scamper between two wooden beams.
But its tiny legs aren't quite long enough, and mum catches up and nudges it back to the ground.
The whelps of delight from the watching animal enthusiasts go some way to putting the viewer's mind at rest that the whole scene is playful jest, and not parental punishment.
Cue plenty of rolling around, tipping the cub upside down, pawing it to the ground, and scampering after it when it manages to get a foot free.
The giant panda is still on the 'endangered species' list, after deforestation wrecked its natural habitat in areas of China.

Any opportunity to escape the tickling is grabbed by the cute cub



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