If at first you don't succeed, li, li again! Zoo which already boasts a half-tiger, half-lion liger welcomes three liliger cubs

Three liliger cubs were born at a zoo in Novosibirsk, Russia, recently
They are a hybrid of a lion and a liger - which is itself a lion/tiger hybrid

By ANTHONY BOND

Bizarre: A Russian zoo is home to a unique animal - the liger. It is half-lioness, half-tiger. Mother Zita is pictured licking her one month old liliger cub

They may look familiar but these big cats are extremely unique and rare.
This big cat mother recently gave birth to three adorable liliger cubs at a zoo in Novosibirsk, Russia.
Although the mother and her cubs look like tigers, she is in fact a lion-tiger hybrid known as a liger - the biggest known cat in the world.

Cute: The first liliger was born in the zoo last year and now there's a second litter of three, all of them females

Curious: The cubs were born in May and now have grown up enough to start exploring their surroundings... much to the concern of their mother Zita

The first was born in the zoo last year and now there's a second litter of three, all of them females.
They were born in May and now have grown up enough to start exploring their surroundings, showing an endearing clumsy energy.

Loveable: The tiny cubs enjoy playing in the sand at the zoo

Their mother, Zita, was born in the zoo in 2004. Their father, Sam, is an African lion. The offspring of a lion and liger is called a liliger.
The liger is the largest known cat in the world and holds similar characteristics to both lions and tigers.

Fluffy: A liliger is a big cat breed where the father is a lion and the mother is a lion-tiger hybrid, known as a liger

Just like tigers, they enjoy swimming and are very sociable like lions.
They exist only in captivity because the habitats of tigers and lions do not cross in the wild.
Ligers are known for growing bigger than either parental species.

Protective: Zita carries one of her cubs as another walks by her side

Playful: The young cub plays around the feet of mother Zita, who has her hands full with the three cubs



source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2344461/Its-tiger-lion--liger-Mother-gives-birth-adorable-rare-cubs-grow-largest-cats-world.html
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Amazing moment a tiny fox with its head stuck in a jar approaches two men for help

Filmed on a Russian dirt road, this shows the wild fox overcome its shyness
Curiosity had got the better of the fox and it knew humans were its only help
One rescuer joked: 'Where's the thank you?' as it returned to the bushes

By HELEN LAWSON

At first the young fox wriggled as one of the men tried to pull the jar away

The young red fox had got itself in a bit of a jam. There was only one thing for it - the notoriously shy creature was going to have to ask humans for help.
It clearly couldn't resist having a look at a discarded glass jar and ended up with its head stuck inside.
In this short but sweet footage, the fox is spotted by two men on a Russian dirt road.

The fox quickly realised it needed to stand still while the man took it by the scruff of its neck and gently tugged the jar away

Instead of running away, like a wild fox normally would, the trapped fox scurried up to the men.
One of the men reached down to grab the jar, which made the creature wriggle to try to escape.
But the fox quickly realised that tactic wouldn't work and stood still for its rescuer.
The man, who appeared to be wearing camouflage army gear, grabbed the fox by the scruff of its neck and pulled the jar away with his other hand.

The fox made a quick dash to freedom while one of the men joked in Russian: 'Where's the thank you?'

In a flash, the fox made the most of its freedom and ran away.
The man joked in Russian: 'Where is the thank you?' according to 9 MSN.
He then said: 'Thank you' in a higher-pitched voice, pretending to be their bushy-tailed friend.
The other man pointed out: 'He would have died that way.'



source: dailymail
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Whatever you do, don't kiss it! Scientists successfully breed tiny blue frog that's so poisonous it can kill TEN men

The blue poison dart frog is naturally found in Costa Rica and Brazil
But it is under threat in South America, where habitat is being destroyed
Now experts at Walford and North Shropshire College have successfully bred one of the deadly amphibians in their lab

By RACHEL REILLY

A blue poison dart frog, found naturally in the tropical forests of Costa Rica and Brazil, has been successfully bred at Walford and North Shropshire College

British experts have successfully bred a rare species of frog that is so poisonous it can kill ten men.
The blue poison dart frog is only 2.5cm long and is usually found in the tropical forests of Costa Rica and Brazil. But the species is under threat in South America, where their habitat is being destroyed.
Now animal experts at Walford and North Shropshire College have successfully bred one of the deadly amphibians in their lab.

Despite its diminutive size, the tropical frog can kill ten men with a single dose of its venom

Simon Metcalfe, the animal technician who led the project, said: 'Although eggs were laid on several occasions, the students had been unsuccessful in getting the eggs to progress to tadpoles.
'They had always gone mouldy and not formed. After researching environmental conditions required and their breeding behaviour, a few adjustments were made and we waited for the first clutch of eggs to be laid.

Until now the eggs that had been laid had gone mouldy and not formed properly. But after researching environmental conditions and breeding behaviour, the scientists were able to successfully breed a frog

'Now all our research and effort has paid off and our first froglet was moved out of water and on to dry land, its metamorphosis now complete.'
A male and female blue poison dart frog were donated to the college by a student who left to join the army.
Once the pair had produce a fertilised egg, the team placed it in an inside pond, where it took 12 weeks for the froglet to develop.

The Blue Poison Dart froglet will grow to be just 2.5cm long when it reaches adulthood

The team of four experts set the water's temperature at 27C (80F), and lit it with UV lights, to recreate the conditions of the frog's natural habitat.
But despite the frog's fearsome reputation, the students have nothing to fear from the tiny frog because it only becomes venomous after eating certain toxic tree barks and insects in the wild.

The striking frog took 12 weeks for to develop. During this time it was kept in a pond heated to a constant 27C and lit with UV lights



source: dailymail
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Who you calling pug ugly? Meet the ruff contenders battling it out at the world's ugliest dog competition

By PAUL MILLIGAN

Chupee is one of the contenders for the crown of World's Ugliest Dog

Mangy mutts from around the globe will gather this week at the only beauty pageant they might ever stand a chance of winning - the world's ugliest dog contest.
The annual show in California, welcomes all dogs from pugs to terriers, sausage dogs and chihuahuas in an attempt to discover the worst-looking canine on Earth.
Now in its 25th year, the contest - which has even spawned a book - sees dogs judged in four main categories - first impressions, unique features, personality, and audience reaction.

This strange looking mutt, called Icky, could well be walking away with the coveted prize

The aesthetically-challenged winner will not only be able to boast they're the polar opposite of the champion at Crufts, but will also take home a trophy, $1500 and a meal at a local restaurant prepared by a top chef.
Among the contenders this year are Creature with a huge under bite, Icky with sporadic wiry fur and Boolah who appears to have an uncontrollable tongue.

Could Boolah's uncontrollable tongue sway the judges to pick up the top prize?

The dogs are marked on four categories: first impressions, unique features, personality, and audience reaction

Isaboo will be hoping to win the title, now in its 25th year of competition

Event producer, Vicki DeArmon, 54, said: 'I've been producing the world's ugliest dog contest for seven years now - it's been a wild ride.
'The contest has grown from a small hometown fair event to one in which the entire world is engaged.
'The announcement of the winner each year ricochets around the world with that dog's photo being shared from China to Bolivia to France.

If he wins, Reggie will win a trophy and a meal at a local restaurant prepared by a top chef

'We usually have between 20 and 30 dogs and we're on target for that again this year.
'In fact, 50 per cent of our contestants this year are first time participants and very often, the winner is a new dog. So one of those may well be our winner.
'The winning dog will get world fame and recognition, hitting the talk show circuit and appearing at local dog events.
'Many go on to become doggy ambassadors in their hometowns for the rescue dog movement as many of our contestants are rescue dogs who are now living in their forever homes and are much loved.'

The owners of Creature will surely win the prize for the most apt name of a dog

Maybe Scamp will be the winner of the $1500 prize money

source: dailymail
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The rise of 'tattoos' for dogs: Extreme grooming trend sees New York's most pampered pups sport crystal butterflies and roses

By SADIE WHITELOCKS

Dog grooming trend: Violet, a French Bulldog, has a flower glitter tattoo on her hip to match her painted nails - her owner said that friends and work colleagues 'enjoyed' the pet's bedazzled appearance

A new dog grooming trend that sees canines branded with temporary crystal tattoos is taking the U.S. by storm.
Jorge Bendersky, a New York-based 'pet stylist' whose client list has included Sean 'Diddy' Combs
and Ralph Lauren, told DNAinfo.com that he has been inundated with bookings since launching the inking service this spring.

Step-by-step: Mr Bendersky marks out the tattoo design (left) before applying glitter and rhinestone pieces

The designs, which cost $100 each and last a few weeks, are typically applied to the animal's hip or tailbone, with roses, butterflies, hearts and anchors among the most popular requests.
Fallon O'Brien, 33, who lives in Manhattan's Upper East Side decided to get a butterfly 'tattooed' on her seven-year-old Chihuahua named Fletch.
She said it was a way of making him 'stand out' without spending hundreds of dollars on fancy outfits, which are also too hot for him to wear in the summer months.

Finished look: Mr Bendersky says that he has been inundated with bookings since launching the inking service this spring - many owners see it as a way of making their pooch 'stand out'

'Sometimes, my dog and I dress in the same color if we're going to a red carpet event. During the summer, it's just too hot to have him wearing outfits like that,' she explained.
'It was something I could do to make my dog stand out that wasn't that expensive. The tattoo is a good option.'

Tool box: Mr Bendersky uses canine-safe products to apply the colorful tattoos

source: read more at dailymail

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MailOnline readers take up the cat camouflage challenge: Now see your pictures of crafty felines blending into the background

By SARA MALM and JILL REILLY

Inceptional: A nifty camouflage cat takes inspiration from the inspiration to the chair cover and blends in like a zebra with its stripes

Camouflage is a handy technique used by the army to avoid detection, but it turns out that cats are just as good at concealing themselves in their surroundings.
When we asked our readers to send us examples of their feline friends' fantastic abilities to blend into the background, the responses show some impressive skills.
These camouflage cats turn hide and seek into an art-form with some going for carpets and cushions a similar shade to their fur, while others make use of blankets and teddy bears.

Nothing to see here: This fluffy little cats blends well into the fur of his play apparatus

When you are a cream-coloured Persian, disappearing into a fluffy white climbing frame may not be the most difficult task, but a meaner feat is that of one Bengal cat who managed to find a leopard print blanket that perfectly matched its fur.
MailOnline reader Gemma Kiernan's cunning kitten displays all the traits of a future camouflage connoisseur in two snaps where even the most trained eye will struggle to locate the young feline.

Paw-sing a problem: The owner of this kitten must have a struggle finding him after he's had a nap!

Who me? This cat turns around and almost looks in surprise at the camera than it has been discovered

Hide and seek: Clearly set to be an expert camouflage cat when he grows up

source: more pictures at dailymail

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From the gaping jaws of a giant shark to the intricate dance of mating seahorses - the Best Underwater Photographer of the Year Competition reveals its winner

By SARA SMYTH

Jaws: Sam Cahir won first prize in the wide angle category with this spectacular image of the moment a mako shark opens its jaws and swims towards his camera off the coast of Australia

Thousands of amateur and professional photographers slipped into their wetsuits and came face-to-face with extreme danger in the pursuit of the best underwater photograph of the year.
From an open-mouthed shark to the wreckage of a ship, the spectacular photographs taken from the depths of the sea baffle the imagination and show nature at its most spectacular.

Golden seabed: Thousands of entries mean the competition boasts a spectacular range of photographs. Here, a cloud of tadpoles float in the golden Campbell River in British Columbia, Canada

Hamid Rad won best in show with his portrait of a fish-eye view of the world. The picture, taken in New Guinea, won the reefscapes category and was selected as the best overall shot in this year's competition.
Thousands of photographers from 15 countries entered into the seven categories- compact cameras, divers, animal portraits, animal behaviour, reefscapes, surfs and sharks.

Graceful: This group of mantra rays were captured in a peaceful moment by an amateur photographer. Some of the winning entries include human subjects, such as the diver who is following in their path

15 per cent of proceeds from the entries are donated to marine conservation projects. More than £50,000 worth of prizes have been awarded to group finalists and winners.
The competition, in its seventh year, is part of a series of underwater imaging events and has become one of the biggest and most prestigious in the world.

Whirlpool: A diver on the seabed in Cabo, New Mexico, works next to a huge shoal of fish who swirl around each other

Swimming with sharks: You could be forgiven for thinking this image was photoshopped. A model darts through the water with a white shark n the Philippines

Close up: From the bulbous eyes of this tiny goby fish to its fluorescent lips, this image shows the benefits of compact photography

Watery depths: A large fish is encircled by a shoal of thousands off the coast of Eden Rock in Grand Cayman

Aquatic dancing: Two seahorses embrace in a mating ritual in Singer Island, Florida. This photograph won bronze in the animal behaviour category

source: more photos at dailymail
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