For once, Ann is doing the dragging: Miss Widdecombe discovers how Anton felt after tussle with difficult donkey

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER


Strictly Come Donkey: Ann Widdecombe takes asses Teasel and Dove for a walk as she launches the Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land charity's Christmas campaign


Now she knows how Anton Du Beke feels.

Faced with a stubborn partner who’ll move only when prodded, Ann Widdecombe did the only thing she could.

She cajoled, wheedled and finally resorted to muscle power to get this donkey trotting along.

The Strictly Come Dancing star led two of the animals through Newton Abbot in Devon as part of a Christmas campaign by the charity Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of neglected and abused donkeys in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

She said: 'I've supported SHADH for many years as the work they do is amazing.
'I've spent time at the donkey sanctuary in Israel myself and know that too many donkeys in the region are treated cruelly or abandoned.

'It's terrible that these gentle animals, which play a key part in the Nativity story, should be so badly treated.

'SHADH is the only charity in the area helping these lovely donkeys.'


Don't be shy! Ann tries to encourage the donkeys to pose for the cameras


Ann added: 'I'm hoping to attend SHADH's 10th Anniversary dinner this year but it's the same night as the Strictly Come Dancing Final.

'I've promised to come along if I can but that will be up to the public in the end.
'I am hoping to visit the sanctuary again soon - it's incredibly inspiring to see the work they do there and I love helping out with the care of these lovely animals.'

Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land rescues injured, neglected and abused donkeys in Israel and the Palestinian territories.


No, I don't want to waltz with you! Ann tugs at Teasel who looks determined to stay where he is


I'm not going anywhere! Teasel refuses to budge as Ann and the sanctuary worker try to coax him towards them


Ann has been a patron of the charity for many years and spent a week working with founder Lucy Fensom at the sanctuary in near Tel Aviv, Israel.

Donkeys are still beasts of burden in the Middle East but sadly many suffer from neglect, cruelty and abuse.

The harsh political climate can mean that these innocent animals end up the victims of the poverty and violence which sadly dominates the region.


My new best friend: Ann cuddles up to Dove as she raises awareness of the charity


Since 2000, SHADH have rescued over 1,000 donkeys and horses and run free mobile vet clinics and education programmes in the region, to teach both children and adults how to care for their working animal.

Those who adopt a Safe Haven donkey in the Holy Land will receive presentation folder, portrait photo of your donkey, record card and an adoption certificate plus a cuddly donkey and updates on your animal through the year.



'Flying canary': Brave Anton Du Beke attempts to lift Ann off the ground in their disastrous samba on Strictly Come Dancing last weekend




source: dailymail

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Now that is a quick bath: Incredible images of blue tits having a wash captured in just 10,000th of a second

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Bath-time: These blue tits were captured taking a bath in just a 10,000th of a second using homemade equipment by photographer Kim Taylor


Watching a group of blue tits taking a bird bath might not seem like an incredible visual experience, but when it’s captured in just 10,000th of a second, suddenly it becomes a work of art.

Using home-made equipment, photographer Kim Taylor took these amazing shots with pinpoint clarity, turning a common garden event into photographic genius.

The difference is that now we can see what the human eye can't - the amazing detail and action behind that blur in your bird bath.

Mr Taylor, 77, a former Government biologist, decided to attempt to capture the motion of common garden birds using the bath at the back of his Surrey home.

The results are a breathtaking - and sometimes humorous - collection of great pictures of some of our favourite British birds.

The photographer was able the capture his unique set of images by setting up all the equipment himself before hiding in his kitchen and watching the action from his window.

He said: ‘People will have not seen images like this before. They are a great insight into how birds move when they come to wash themselves.

‘They move so fast that I had to use a shutter speed of 10,000th of a second - ten times faster than most cameras.


Amazing detail: Mr Taylor, 77, a former Government biologist, decided to attempt to capture the motion of common garden birds using the bath at the back of his Surrey home


‘I also had to use a very powerful flash at 35,000 volts. There was still the problem of how fast the birds moved. Just when I thought I'd got the perfect shot I'd take the picture - only to realise the bird had already flown away.

‘The thing is you can't normally see what is happening when a blue tit or a wagtail is taking a bath in your garden, because it's so fast.

‘With these pictures I had just enough time to see into another world and I'm very happy with the results.’

Mr Taylor said that his photography revealed a pattern among most birds that visited his garden.


The perfect shot: The group of blue tits frolic in the water, but instead of looking like any common bird bath, the image captured has turned into a stunning work of art


He said: ‘Surprisingly just like us, most birds like a bath and a wash before bed time often coming to the garden just before dusk to use the water.

‘They also, and this goes for different species, seem to wash in the same way. They dip their heads in first before washing the water back over their bodies.

‘They all seemed to do it the same way. When you see them leave the bath, you think perhaps they will get cold from the water, but actually their feathers plump up perfectly to keep them warm. They know what they are doing.’


source: dailymail

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You cheeky monkey! An impish wink to let the world know he's the smallest primate

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Impish: the tiny tarsier winks for the camera - one of the smallest primates in the world


With his huge eyes and friendly face, it's hard not to fall in love with the Phillipine tarsier.

This casual mammal is often seen in inquisitive mode, caught with one eye closed as if in cahoots with the photographer.

Growing to just six-inches in length and weighing less than an average wristwatch, the tarsier is one of the smallest primates in the world.


Handful: A domesticated Philippine tarsier is held in a woman's palm


Once found across the world since its evolution 45million years ago, the mammal - which is in fact not classed as a monkey but a mammal akin to a lemur or bush baby - is now endangered.

The unwelcome attention of feral cats and the loss of habitat are to blame, but in some areas they are also caught and kept in captivity as tourist attractions.


Oddball: The tiny tarsier has huge eyes and ears


As well as big eyes, it has big ears for hearing the insects, birds, snakes and lizards it feeds on. It also has long hind limbs and its feet have extremely elongated tarsus bones, hence his name.

After dark, it can jump more than 40 times its own body length in a surprising display of agility.


Freaky friends: The tarsier is severely endangered as a result of shrinking habitats


Hanging on: Tarsiers are found in South East Asia

source: dailymail

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Pollution 'makes male birds mate with each other', say scientists

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Close bond: The white Ibis is one of the birds that is being badly affected by mercury in its diet, new research has shown


Water pollution is posing a threat to bird populations by causing males to mate with each other.

Scientists believe poisonous metal compounds entering the food chain can affect sexuality, causing a reduction in offspring.

They found that even relatively low levels of methylmercury in the diet of male white ibises caused the birds to pair up with each other, snubbing females.

As a result fewer females breed and fewer chicks are produced.

Methylmercury is a form of mercury – the metal which is liquid at room temperature and is better known as quicksilver. It has been seeping into groundwater from industry for years.

This is the first scientific study to show how the pollutant appears to alter sexual preference.

U.S. researcher Peter Frederick captured 160 young white ibises – a coastal wading bird – and gave them food laced with methylmercury.

The birds were split into four groups. One group ate food with 0.3  parts per million (ppm) methylmercury, which most U.S. states would regard as too high for human consumption.

A second group was fed 0.1 ppm, and the third 0.05 ppm, a low dose that wild birds would be exposed to frequently. The fourth group received food clear of the poison.

All three dosed groups had significantly more homosexual males than the control group. Male-male pairs courted, built nests together and paired off for several weeks.

Higher doses increased the effect, with 55 per cent of males in the 0.3 ppm group affected.

Overall, male-male mating was blamed for 81 per cent of unproductive nests in the dosed groups.

‘We knew mercury could depress their testosterone levels,’ explained Dr Frederick.
‘But we didn’t expect this. In the worst-case scenario, the production of young would fall by 50 per cent.’ Other birds would probably be similarly affected, he said.

However, Dr Frederick, of the Florida University, and fellow researcher Nilmini Jayasena, of the Peradeniya University, Sri Lanka, admitted it was far from clear if methylmercury could be linked to similar effects in mammals.

● One of Britain’s most endangered birds has made a comeback.

The stone-curlew reached a low of around 160 breeding pairs in the 1980s, but this year 370 pairs are known to have bred.

Farmers in the South-West and South-East have been working with conservationists to protect nesting areas.


source: dailymail

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Austerity bites: The Andrex puppy loses job to digitised dog after 38 years faithful service

By GAVIN ALLEN

Digitised dog: The computer-generated Andrex puppy sticks to the classic image of the Labrador Retriever


When even the cutest puppy on TV loses its job then you have to say it's a dog's life.

The Andrex talent scouts were were clearly unimpressed by the cuddly canines who lined up for a recent audition to find a replacement for the iconic bounding Labrador Retriever puppy.

A kennelfull of hopefuls lined up a fortnight ago at Pineapple Dance Studios in London’s Covent Garden in a bid to sink their teeth into the lead role.


Doggy audition: Puppies waited in the hope of becoming the new Andrex puppy at Pineapple Studios in London a fortnight ago


The familiar yellow Labs sat alongside British Bulldogs and Dalmatians, making puppydog eyes at the judges as they unravelled toilet tissue for all they were worth

But every one of them was left disappointed as Andrex chose instead to digitise its dog for the first time since the nation’s favourite puppy hit our screens 1972.

Forgive us for being a little cynical about it all but given that the company has revealed it spend six months working on the animated dog, the doggy audition was clearly just a marketing ploy.


At home: The new advert is a 'behind the scenes' of life as the Andrex puppy


Googling himself? The computer-generated canine makes its debut online tonight


But it is, nonetheless, a sad day for dogs as the series of more than 120 adverts featuring a live puppy closed the kennel door on one of the big TV jobs for dogs.

The 40-second ad, entitled 'It's the Little Things', falls into line with the current fascination with reality TV and purports to show the 'real life' of the Andrex puppy; where he sleeps, what he eats and introduces us to some British Bulldog and Dalmatian puppy friends.

The high tech makeover was developed by Andrex in conjunction with animators JWT London and Framestore, famed for award-winning animated films including The Golden Compass and Harry Potter.


Gone but not forgotten: An actual Andrex puppy and right, how Pugh sees his future job prospects


Collectively they’ve spent half a year studying thousands of puppies, watching their movements, mannerisms and personalities to ensure that the charm, character and identity of the Andrex Puppy plus all other characters are captured and built upon.

Jon White, Marketing Director for Kimberly Clark Europe, which manufactures Andrex, said: 'The Puppy’s had a huge and loyal following since the first ad hit our screens in 1972.

'We really believe we’ve given him a new lease of life and have evolved his character.'

'We’re confident you’ll love him and his new Puppy World and will be reminded about why you fell in love with him in the first place.'

The computer-generated canine will make its debut online tonight before airing on TV screen for the first time tomorrow at 6pm, during the first break in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.


source :dailymail

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The polar bear cubs

Ganuk and Taiga, the polar bear cubs, sleeps on their mother's back at the St-Felicien Wildlife Zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. Ganuk and Taiga, the polar bear cubs, celebrated their first birthday today.



Ganuk (bottom) and Taiga (top), the polar bear cubs, play together at the St-Felicien Wildlife Zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. Ganuk and Taiga celebrated their first birthday today.



Polar bear cubs Ganuk (R) and Taiga (L) play together at the St-Felicien Wildlife Zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. Ganuk and Taiga celebrated their first birthday today.



Ganuk, the polar bear cub, jumps into water at the St-Felicien Wildlife Zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. Ganuk and Taiga, the polar bear cubs, celebrated their first birthday today.



Polar bear cub Taiga looks on at the St-Felicien Wildlife Zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. Ganuk and Taiga celebrated their first birthday today.



Polar bear cubs Ganuk and Taiga play together at the St-Felicien Wildlife Zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. Ganuk and Taiga celebrated their first birthday today.

source: Daylife
photo: Reuters

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A Siberian tiger yawns at the St-Felicien Wildlife zoo

A Siberian tiger yawns at the St-Felicien Wildlife zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. According to National Geographic, the wild population of Siberian tigers, also called Amur tiger, is estimated between 400 and 500 and is classified as an endangered species.



A Siberian tiger growls at the St-Felicien Wildlife zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. According to National Geographic, the wild population of Siberian tigers, also called Amur tiger, is estimated between 400 and 500 and is classified as an endangered species.




Siberian tigers jump at the St-Felicien Wildlife zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. According to National Geographic, the wild population of Siberian tigers, also called Amur tiger, is estimated between 400 and 500 and is classified as an endangered species.



Siberian tigers play together at the St-Felicien Wildlife zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. According to National Geographic, the wild population of Siberian tigers, also called Amur tiger, is estimated between 400 and 500 and is classified as an endangered species.




A Siberian tiger walks at the St-Felicien Wildlife zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. According to National Geographic, the wild population of Siberian tigers, also called Amur tiger, is estimated between 400 and 500 and is classified as an endangered species.




Siberian tigers walk at the St-Felicien Wildlife zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. According to National Geographic, the wild population of Siberian tigers, also called Amur tiger, is estimated between 400 and 500 and is classified as an endangered species.



Siberian tigers sleep at the St-Felicien Wildlife zoo in St-Felicien, Quebec November 30, 2010. According to National Geographic, the wild population of Siberian tigers, also called Amur tiger, is estimated between 400 and 500 and is classified as an endangered species.


source: daylife
photo: Reuters

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Dolly reborn! Four clones created of sheep that changed science

By FIONA MACRAE

Four of a kind: The four sheep are exact genetic duplicates of Dolly, the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell 14 years ago


Dolly the sheep has been reborn. Four clones have been made by the scientist behind the original research.

The quads, which have been nicknamed ‘the Dollies’, are exact genetic copies of their predecessor, who was put down seven years ago.

As the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell, Dolly made headlines around the world when she was born at the Roslin Institute near Edinburgh in 1996.

She was hailed as a scientific sensation but critics warned the technology brought with it a high risk of miscarriage and still birth – and for those creatures that did survive, ill health and premature death.

The need to put Dolly down aged only six, to end her suffering from advanced lung disease and arthritis, further inflamed fears about the long-term health of cloned animals.

The latest experiments were partly carried out to check if improvements to the technique cut the risk of problems in and out of the womb.


Named after country and western singer Dolly Parton, Dolly was created from a cell taken from a mammary gland. The rest of the sample of tissue has lain in a freezer since, until it was defrosted to make the Dollies.

This means the quads are genetically identical to each other, as well as to Dolly, and to the ewe that donated the udder tissue. Professor Keith Campbell, who keeps the Dollies as pets on land at Nottingham University, said: ‘Dolly is alive and well. Genetically these are Dolly.’

The cloning of Dolly was a long and tortuous process. In all, 277 eggs were used and only one lamb – Dolly – survived.

This time, only five embryos were needed to produce each one of the Dollies.
Professor Campbell said the health of the clones was being closely watched. He added: ‘They have got the life of Reilly – they potter around and get fed.

‘We are not doing anything to them, they have no health concerns and they show none of the signs of developing the arthritis that Dolly had.’

The professor, who plans to publish details about the Dollies in a scientific journal, said improvements in the technology raised the odds of clones being born alive and healthy but admitted the method was still not perfect.

Animal welfare campaigners say that cloned animals and their surrogate mothers still suffer immensely.

Peter Stevenson, of Compassion in World Farming, said: ‘Cloning is a welfare disaster.’
The Dollies were born three-and-a-half years ago but their existence became public only when Professor Campbell mentioned them during a lecture at a recent European
Parliament debate on cloning and animal welfare.

He said he had not tried to hide their existence and had spoken of the animals to other scientists.

Despite controversy over animal welfare, cloning is used in agriculture to make copies of prize-winning animals, allowing them to be bred from over and over again.

It is also of interest to stem cell scientists and to those trying to create designer animals that produce medicines in their milk.


source: dailymail

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These kids eat nothing but fast food: SIX hungry cheetah cubs learn to hunt with mum

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

A cheetah with her six cubs in Massai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, all in a row


With six hungry mouths to feed, there’s only one thing a mother can do – teach the kids to get their own tea.

This cheetah and her unusually large family seem to be making good progress on the self-catering front, even if the playful cubs sometimes forget hunting duty for a spot of rough and tumble instead.

Barely 10 per cent of cheetah cubs make it past three months in the wild, so at a sleek four months, these youngsters have already beaten the harshest of odds.

And they are a real credit to their mother’s ingenuity and dedication. As well as teaching them to hunt, she has to keep them hidden from predators, frequently changing hiding places to keep their enemies guessing.

Then she has to put up with their rather boisterous behaviour – six times over. But the family photos, taken in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, show she is managing beautifully so far.

A spokesman for the Cheetah Conservation Fund was delighted that such an endangered species is doing so well. She said: ‘It fills us with hope that a mother can successfully look after numbers like this.’


UP HERE! The cheetah led her brood up a tree for a better look at the beautiful surroundings


She no doubt has her paws full with the rambunctious brood


But she’ll have her paws full for some time.

Cheetah cubs don’t leave their mothers until they are 18 months old.

Captured on camera in October in the Massai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, by Italian wildlife photographer Paolo Torchio the little ones pestering their dedicated mum - just like excitable school kids running around the feet of a human parent.


The mum didn't have much time to prepare for her six-fold blessing. Cheetah pregnancies only last about three months


There was no father cheetah in site as the cubs dashed about with their mum close by


Their rough-and-tumble approach to play will equip them with the skills they'll need when they mature, so they can cope with a life in the big wide world and hunt successfully.

Patricia Tricorache from international charity Cheetah Conservation Fund, said: 'It's an extraordinary and rare achievement to successfully rear a litter of this size, and great news for the species.'

For more stunning cheetah photos, visit the BBC Wildlife Magazine website at www.bbcwildlifemagazine.com


These two cubs enjoyed a playful sibling wrestling match


Cheetahs are easily distinguished from leopards by the black tear lines under their eyes


The seven beautiful cats took a break from playing and enjoyed a peaceful sunset together


source: dailymail

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'Agoraphobic' hare becomes family pet after a narrow escape from farmer's plough

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Good hare day: Eve Naylor, 6, with Frances the agoraphobic hare at home in East Yorkshire. Frances was given to the family by a local farmer after she was nearly ploughed in a field


A family have adopted a wild 'agoraphobic' hare who is too scared to join her friends outside and instead stays inside watching TV with them and sleeping in their beds.

John Naylor and wife Suzy found cute 'Frances' when she was abandoned by her mother and narrowly avoided being killed by a farmer's plough in a field.

The lovable creature, scarred by her ordeal, now joins the family watching TV sprawled on the sofa, is fed on puppy milk, uses a cat litter tray as a toilet and bounds upstairs to join the family in their beds.

The animal is best friends with the family's terrier, Mouse - but also has mischievous 'bad hare days' when she munches on carpets and cushions. She has even gnawed through several telephone wires, cutting the family off.

Wildlife artist Mr Naylor, 50, said: 'We got her when she was just a few days old so she became very tame very quickly. I have tried to get her to go into a run in the garden outside but she gets hugely spooked, so she sits inside with us, watching the television.

'We are keeping her in the house because she is agoraphobic. It wouldn't be fair if we put her outside, she doesn't like and wouldn't be able to cope with the outside world.'


Special treatment: Eve and her father John feed Frances with puppy milk. The hare was abandoned by her mother and now lives with the family


Mr Naylor - whose children Eve, six, and four-year-old George have fallen in love with the unlikely three-month-old pet - said Frances was only four inches long when she was rescued.

Now she loves them so much she simply refuses to leave the four walls of the family's cottage in the tiny village of Langtoft near Driffield, East Yorkshire.
Mr Naylor said: 'A farmer saw her in a field which was being ploughed. She had been abandoned.

'The farmer thought he might have clipped her with the plough and rang me straight away. We brought her home and started to feed her on puppy milk.

'Then we started hand-feeding her. She now weighs about three pounds and loves tucking in to a variety of treats, from rabbit food, carrots, parsley and celery to dandelion leaves.

"Maybe one day in the future she will get over her fear and go outside like a normal hare. She has the run of the house and is very intelligent. She's an inspirational, amazing creature.'

Mrs Naylor, a 33-year-old housewife, added: 'She absolutely loves to join us in bed and leaps on to either ours or the children's beds, then nuzzles into the duvet like a cat. In fact she is like a cat in many ways, it's amazing a wild animal can be like this.

'She can be naughty and she has chewed through so many telephone wires we have to constantly get spare ones in. But you can't get angry with her because she is so cute and is now a much-loved and very important member of the family.'

Mr Naylor has even made the creature the star of his latest annual exhibition of artwork in Driffield.


source: dailymail

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Who are you calling fat? The tubby cat who doesn't take kindly to jokes about her weight

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Cheer up: She may be the cat's whiskers but Giuly adopts a bit of a glum expression


Giuly the tubby cat may look a bit down-in-the-mouth but in fact she has every reason to be purring.

For the five-year-old exotic shorthair feline has become an unlikely internet sensation since her owner uploaded photos of her onto her website.

Giuly weighs in at a pretty hefty six kilos, but she has sharpened her claws ready for anyone who dares suggest she's an over-fat cat.

Her legion of devoted followers from as far afield as America and Spain who regularly keep up to date with her online antics won't have a word said against her.

Nor will her besotted owner Chiara Bagnoli, 28, has snapped hundreds of photos of Giuly doing things such as wearing a father Christmas hat and playing in the garden.


Catnap: Giuly enjoys a little me time as she relaxes against a wall


The 28-year-old teacher said: 'A lot of people enjoy looking at Giuly's photos and tell me they find them funny or cute, and that fills me with joy.

'She's the star of my website. She captures all the attention. My family adores the photos. They like to see them online and show them to their friends.


Get-out claws: Giuly sharpens up her act for anyone who suggests she's an over-fat cat


It's a rollover: Giuly takes time off from the pressures of her new-found fame and takes a cat nap


Garfield, the popular cartoon strip created in the Seventies by Jim Davis, often portrays the comic cat's laziness, obsessive eating and hatred of Mondays


'Giuly's a really lovely cat, very sweet and quiet. She needs a lot of love and follows me everywhere like a dog. We even go walking together.

'She's quite playful, but very lazy. Strangely, she likes to go outside and hug trees and she also loves the rain and showers herself.'

Chiara, from Florence, Italy, added: 'We got her from a pet shop and she has always been a quiet and happy cat.

'Giuly's so photogenic because she has a lot of funny, wonderful expressions on her face. And in my photos I try to make people understand her personality.'


source: dailymail

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