The armour-plated animal that was too much of a mouthful for one hungry lion

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Mmm, a tasty snack? It's a bit...crunchy...ouch! Anyone else want to try a mouthful?


Finding yourself in the middle of a pack of hungry lions is never ideal but this odd looking creature appears to have the perfect defence tactic.

Passing the rare and unusual pangolin around like a football, these inquisitive lions spent hours trying to devour the armoured plated creature.

British wildlife guide Mark Sheridan-Johnson captured the interaction during a tour in the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania.


Maybe if I use my claws I can get the shell off...wow this thing is tough...nope, your turn sis


The images show how the hapless lions appeared confused by their spherical prey, as they batted it about with their paws and even tried to carry it around in their mouths.

Mr Sheridan-Johnson, 31, from Newcastle, was showing a group of tourists around the game reserve when he spotted the little pangolin battling for its life.

'The Pangolin is an extremely difficult animal to see and is considered by many guides in Africa to be the holy grail of sightings,' he said.

'You can spend your whole life driving round the bush and never see one.
'So when we came across one being attacked by two lions, we could not believe our eyes.

'The pangolin was obviously having a really bad day.'


Yikes, what is this thing anyway? Is there any meat in here or is it some sort of wierd plant...I give up


OK, this is your last chance..come out with your hands up or, or...I'll just have to leave you alone and find something else to gnaw on


Pangolins are nocturnal animals and according to Mark, was peacefully sheltering in bushes before being smelt out by the two-year-old lions.

'We were all on the side of the Pangolin, hoping he would make it out alive,' he said.

'The lions really didn't know what to do with it. They were getting more and more frustrated by the situation.

'The scales are so sharp that carrying the pangolin around can't have been very pleasant '

The pangolin's shell is made of an organic bony structure called keratin and makes up to around twenty percent of the animal's body weight.


When caught by large predators such as lions they work their muscles into a cutting action to lacerate the mouths of their adversaries.

The injuries caused can be serious for the animal attempting to eat the pangolin.
They survive by using their sensitive tongues, which can grow up to 16 inches long to probe ant nests and termite mounds to eat the insects inside.

'In the end the lions gave up and wandered off in search of something else and the pangolin escaped,' said Mark.

'He stayed in his ball for a long time until it got dark, just to make sure he was safe.'

The Selous Game Reserve is Africa's largest protected wildlife reserve and it covers five percent of Tanzania's total land mass.

It is located in the remote south east of the country and is made up of gushing rivers, rolling hills and sprawling plains.

The reserve is named in honour of British explorer Frederick Courtney Selous, who wrote a book about his travels in the region and was killed there during the First World War.

source: dailymail

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Six-month-old Sumatran tiger Mali makes her first appearance

Six-month-old Sumatran tiger Mali makes her first appearance on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Wash. , after nearly dying two weeks ago. Mali is chased by her brother Bima while going up a log.



Six-month-old Sumatran tiger Mali, bottom, makes her first appearance on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, Wash. after nearly dying two weeks ago.

source: Daylife
photo: AP

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Five-month old African elephant calf Tuluba follows his mother Numbi

Five-month old African elephant calf Tuluba follows his mother Numbi in their snow coverd enclosure in Schoenbrunn zoo in Vienna, December 4, 2010. The Austrian capital was hit by heavy snowfall on Friday causing traffic disruptions and closing some motorways



Five-month old African elephant calf Tuluba eats some snow in his enclosure at Schoenbrunn zoo in Vienna, December 4, 2010. The Austrian capital was hit by heavy snowfall on Friday causing traffic disruptions and closing some motorways.



Five-month old African elephant calf Tuluba strolls around its snow covered enclosure in Schoenbrunn zoo in Vienna, December 4, 2010. The Austrian capital was hit by heavy snowfall on Friday causing traffic disruptions and closing some motorways.



Five-month old African elephant calf Tuluba and its mother Numbi eat some snow in their enclosure at Schoenbrunn zoo in Vienna, December 4, 2010. The Austrian capital was hit by heavy snowfall on Friday causing traffic disruptions and closing some motorways


source: Daylife
photo: Reuters

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Jellyfish are taking over the oceans: Population surge as rising acidity of world's seas kills predators

By David Derbyshire

A jellyfish floats in the Mediterranean sea on the west coast of the Spanish island of Mallorca


Britain's beaches could soon be inundated with records numbers of jellyfish, marine experts warned today.

Scientists say the number of jellyfish are on the rise thanks to the increasing acidity of the world’s oceans.

The warning comes in a new report into ocean acidification – an often overlooked side effect of burning fossil fuel.

Studies have shown that higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere doesn’t just trigger climate change but can make the oceans more acid.

Since the start of the industrial revolution, acidity levels of the oceans have gone up 30 per cent, marine biologists say.

The new report, published by the UN Environment Programme during the Climate Change talks in Cancun, Mexico, warns that the acidification of oceans makes it harder for coral reefs and shellfish to form skeletons – threatening larger creatures that depend on them for food.

The decline in creatures with shells could trigger an explosion in jellyfish populations.

The report, written by Dr Carol Turley of Plymouth University, said: ‘Ocean acidification has also been tentatively linked to increased jellyfish numbers and changes in fish abundance.’

Jellyfish are immune to the effects of acidification. As other species decline, jellyfish will move in to fill the ecological niche.

Populations have boomed in the Mediterranean in recent years. Some marine scientists say the changing chemistry of the sea is to blame.

Studies have shown that clown fish – the species made famous by the movie Finding Nemo – find it harder to navigate through more acidic waters.


A Clownfish on the reef in Raja Ampat Islands, West Papua province, in Indonesia. The fish is particularly susceptible to rising acidity


They are also less likely to avoid predators, and may activity seek them out, scientists have shown.

Test on laboratory fish have found that more acidic water rewires their brains, turning them into fish with a death wish.

The report says acidification may push overstressed oceans into disaster with far reaching consequences the billions of people who rely on fish as their main protein source.

The effects of extra carbon dioxide may be greater in colder waters such as the North Sea and north Atlantic, the report says.

The damage to corals and shellfish could affect the whole food chain – hitting species such as salmon which feed on smaller shell building animals.

‘The basic chemistry of sea water is being altered on a scale unseen within fossil records over at least 20 million years,’ the report said.

Oceans are naturally alkaline – and had a pH level of about 8.2 in 1750. Since the industrial revolution, the acidity has increased by 30 per cent.

As more carbon dioxide enters the oceans it produces carbonic acid.

As the acid breaks down it makes sea water less alkaline and more acidic.

‘If we continue at this rate, the ocean pH will decline by a further 0.3 by the end of this century, an unprecedented 150 per cent increase in ocean acidity,’ the report states.

‘This rate of change has not been experienced for around 65 million years, since the dinosaurs became extinct.’

Achim Steiner, UNEP executive director, said: ‘Ocean acidification is yet another red flag being raised, carrying planetary health warnings about the uncontrolled growth in greenhouse gas emissions.

‘It is a new an emerging piece in the scientific jigsaw puzzle, but one that is triggering raising concern.’


source : dailymail

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A new home for Nemo and his friends: Amazing pictures of sea life sanctuary in the Pacific

By Daily Mail Reporter

Teeming with life: Reef fish swim over coral in Raja Ampat, the area will now become a sanctuary for sharks, turtles and other marine life


Life a real-life version of Disney's hit Finding Nemo, this spectacular world of underwater colours will become a new haven for marine life.

Home to 1,397 species of fish, 600 species of rare coral and covering 17,760 square miles, the seas around Raja Ampat, New Guinea, are the last pristine untouched reefs in the world.

And now thanks to a sweeping environmental initiative, species like the popular clown fish will be protected.


New home: A Clownfish emerges from the foliage in the waters off Indonesia and, right, a turtle has a look round the 17,760 sq mile sanctuary


Known as the Four Kings Shark Sanctuary, the massive area has been set up to provide full protection for sharks, manta rays and turtles that live in the tropical Indonesian waters.

Designed to protect against pollution and illegal reef farming, the sanctuary is also hoped to help rehabilitate shark numbers after a massive decline blamed on human demands for delicacies like shark fin soup.

Raja Ampat enjoys the highest marine biodiversity in the world, but has until now been the scene of destructive overfishing that has severely threatened the eco-system.

Douglas Seifert, 48, the world editor of Dive magazine, said: 'This announcement is part of a joint venture between the local Misool Eco Resort in Indonesia and Shark Savers to protect the reefs and wildlife of Raja Ampat.

'This is a step in the right direction for the recovery of the shark population in the area, but because sharks only reach sexual maturity at six years old, it may take up to 15 years to see any progress

'Over 565 species or 70 per cent of the world's coral species live in Raja Ampat and it is at the heart of the Coral Triangle of south east Asia, which rises up to the Malay peninsular in the north and Papua New Guinea to the east.

'The sanctuary will be policed by local fishermen backed by the Regent of Raja Ampat. They don't want the seas to be ruined, over fished and laid to waste.'


Slippery customer: An octopus blends in to soft coral as it waits for a snack to swim past


Can't see me! Glassy sweepers hide among the reef. The sanctuary has been set up by Misool Eco Resort in Indonesia and Shark Savers to protect coral and wildlife


He added that the fishermen will be financially compensated to protect the sanctuary waters.

The campaign by Shark Savers and Misool Eco Resort won the support of more than 8,500 divers and conservationists.

The sanctuary is the first of its kind in Indonesia.

Michael Skoletsky, executive director of Shark Savers, said: 'This new sanctuary owes its creation to thousands of ocean advocates who expressed the urgent need to protect sharks, mantas and other marine life.

'Divers experience the oceans from the inside and are increasingly taking responsibility for ocean and shark conservation.

'Underwater ecotourism is a vital tool to counter the rampant exploitation of the world's remaining sharks and bio-rich marine ecosystems.'


Underwater paradise: Fish swim over what looks like a giant lily pad. The sanctuary will be home to 1,397 species of fish and 600 species of rare coral


Up to 73million sharks are killed every year, with many populations declined by as much as 90 per cent.

Three quarters of species in Raja Ampat are threatened with extinction.

Peter Knights, executive director of ecological group WildAid, said: 'Sharks are being killed for their fins, mantas are being killed for their gills, and rare reef fish are being caught for aquariums.

'It's tragic that so much of Raja Ampat's biological treasure is destined for consumers who are unaware of the impact.'


source: dailymail

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Panda of tiny feet on the baby ward: The clinic that is giving an endangered species a giant future

By Mail On Sunday Reporter

So vulnerable : A one-week old panda lies in the incubator at Chengdu breeding base in China, where vets have developed a method to protect twins


Pale, blind and weighing just a few ounces, this fragile newborn looks much like a mouse. Yet it is part of an amazing breeding programme saving the giant panda from extinction.

Just five days later, the cub appears remarkably relaxed lying on its back in an incubator. It has developed its distinctive black-and-white markings, even if its fur is still sparse.

Watched over by vigilant experts and given the kind of care found in the best maternity wing, the panda is one of 136 born in captivity at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan Province, China.


Full marks: At 12 days old, the rapidly changing cub is recognisably a panda


The vets there have boosted survival rates by actively intervening when mothers have twins – the case in half of all panda births.

Mothers almost always abandon one cub because they lack the milk and energy to care for two.

So the vets remove one cub at birth and place it in an incubator, while the mother cares for the other.

Then the twins are switched up to ten times a day so the mother feeds and cares for both while being under the impression that there is only one.

While in the incubator, the absent twin receives a top-up of formula milk, while the other gets its share of mother’s milk. The twin-swapping technique has finally opened the way to a 100 per cent survival rate in newborn captive cubs.


Bearing up: The 12-day-old cub is growing quickly but is still easily held in a human hand


BBC producer Sorrel Downer was given unprecedented access to the Chengdu base while making the film Panda Makers, to be screened this week.

She said: ‘We filmed 17-year-old Li Li successfully giving birth, to the tremendous relief of her keepers. In the past she had only given birth to stillborns or cubs that died in days.

‘While Li Li’s first healthy baby cub was already suckling, she produced a second. The vets quickly removed it to the warmth of the incubator.

‘The cubs, Wen Li and Ya Li, both survived. We watched as they got fatter and fatter, and as their eyes opened at around two months. At four-and-a-half months, we witnessed their first uncertain steps in the garden.


Double take: Li Li with Wen Li, one of her twin cubs. Her two youngsters have been repeatedly swapped between an incubator and Li Li to make her think they are the same cub. Normally panda mothers abandon one twin


‘Li Li’s bond with her twins was strong. She was very maternal and restless when they were away. Wen Li and Ya Li now have their own pen which they share with two other cubs.’

The base was founded just over 20 years ago with six rescued pandas and is now the world’s leading breeding centre.

Until 50 years ago no one anywhere had bred a giant panda in captivity. Now there are 300 captive-born pandas worldwide, which experts believe is a stable breeding population and enough to start the process of reintroducing the endangered animals to the wild.

Sorrel said: ‘There are those who argue that panda conservation is a waste of money.

'But if we cannot protect the giant panda, the icon of global conservation, what chance do we have of protecting those species which do not intrigue us, entertain us, and command such passionate adoration the world over?’

* Natural World Special: Panda Makers is on BBC2 on Tuesday at 8pm.


source: dailymail

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Animal charities slam YouTube video that shows you how to gift wrap a CAT

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Christmas present? This chilled out cat is wrapped in festive paper for the YouTube video


Animal charities have condemned a video which shows a cat being gift-wrapped like a Christmas present.

The video, which has attracted 2,500,000 viewers on YouTube, has proved an online hit but animal welfare charities say such actions could cause 'distress' to the animal.

The 1 minute 44 second video shows the cute black and white tabby lying on a living room floor while it calmly lets his owner wrap him in Santa-themed Christmas pape

Entitled 'What's the most difficult thing you've ever wrapped?' , the clip ends with the owner putting a red bow on the feline's head. Web-users have so far revelled in the footage, but animal charities did not see the funny side of the video.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: ‘Christmas can be a disruptive and stressful time for animals at the best of times.

‘Subjecting them to even more disruption to their routines can only result in them becoming distressed and we would hope that responsible pet owners would want to avoid this where possible.’

Ryan Neile, an animal behaviourist for the Blue Cross, said: ‘Although the cat in the video seems quite tolerant, this could well be distressing for other cats.


Christmas kitty: The tabby stands on the wrapping paper before letting his owner turn him into a present


Willing participant: This particular cat calmly lies down to be wrapped, but animal charities have condemned the video


‘Why not make Christmas fun for your cat instead, by letting them play with the wrapping paper and empty boxes after you have finished unwrapping your presents?’

But YouTube users so far have only seen the funny side of the video.

One internet user wrote: 'That was cute' while another wrote 'Post him to me please.'

‘That's one chilled out cat,’ claims one internet-user and another quips 'My cat would kill me if I tried that.' 'This is why cats are not just for Christmas.', concludes another.

A follow-up clip, in which the same cat is wrapped up again, this time with a ribbon, has attracted 239,000 views on the video-sharing website.


The video has attracted over 2,500,000 viewers on YouTube but animal charities say it could cause distress to the cat


Self-confessed cat-lover Bernard Hemming, 60, who owns five felines, said the videos were brought to his attention by an email from a friend.

Mr Hemming, from Walsall, West Midland, said: ‘I think it is appalling to treat a cat like this for trivial entertainment purposes.

‘I would never do this to any of my cats. It cannot be good for them in the slightest.

‘It gives the impression that they are just play toys and at Christmas this is not the right message to be sending out.’


source: dailymail

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Now you see me (no you don't): The tiny chameleon from Madagascar that's no bigger than a human fingernail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Tiny: The delicate-looking creature is one of the world's smallest chameleons - and can sit on a human thumbnail with room to spare


Barely an inch long from nose to tail, it’s hardly surprising that this tiny animal is rarely spotted.

For this miniscule chameleon is so small that it can sit on a human thumbnail with room to spare.

The miniature creature, from the Brookesia genus, was spotted on an expedition in Amber Mountain Park, Madagascar, by British wildlife photographer Will Burrard-Lucas.

Mr Burrard-Lucas and his brother Matt had just settled down for lunch during when their eagle-eyed guide spotted the creature.

The Brookesia chameleon was camouflaged in the leaf litter, but stayed still as they took a photograph.

Mr Burrard-Lucas, 27, from London, said: ‘It was really amazing to see. It was so tiny it would have been absolutely impossible to find by ourselves, but fortunately our local guide Antonio knew where to look.

‘We were just having our lunch when he spotted it camouflaged under a pile of leaves.
‘They play dead when they sense danger, so we could pick it up very carefully and put it on the end of Matt's thumbnail.

‘This one is a fully-grown adult, so you can imagine how small the babies are.’
Madagascar is famous for its tiny creatures, which have evolved that way because of the island’s unique ecosystem.

Although it has a large landmass, it is divided into many small ecosystems, making it difficult for a large species, and large predators, to thrive there.

‘We were there as part of a four week trip, to photograph as much of Madagascar's unique wildlife as possible, so we were thrilled to see this little creature,’ Mr Burrard-Lucas said.

‘But I'd advise anyone wanting to spot them to take their glasses - otherwise they might not see them at all.’


Pygmy: It is so small it doesn't even need to change colour to help hide from its enemies


Brookesia chameleons may not be as vibrant as their colour-changing larger cousins, but are still skilled in the art of camouflage.

Found in the wild living amongst fallen leaf litter on rainforest floors, they are able to cheat predators by disguising themselves as dead leaves.


British wildlife photographers Matt and Will Burrard-Lucas were lucky to spot the tiny Brookesia during an expedition in Amber Mountain Park, Madagascar.


Remarkably, its tongue is longer than its entire body, allowing it to feed on a variety of tiny insects from small crickets to moths, spiders and even locusts.
But the little chameleon has a threatened conservation status, after being subject to illegal harvesting for the pet trade and loss of habitat.

Anthropologists and paleontologists have always been fascinated by Madagascar's animals.

Madagascar has more unique species of animals than any location except Australia, which is 13 times larger. The island's population includes 70 kinds of lemurs found nowhere else and about 90 percent of the other mammals, amphibians and reptiles are unique to its 226,656 square miles.

The island is located in the Indian Ocean roughly 300 miles east of Africa over the Mozambique Channel and is otherwise isolated from significant land masses.

Its isolation and varied terrain make it a living laboratory for scientists studying evolution and the impact of geography on the evolutionary process.

Scientists believe that creatures on the island were cut off after a land bridge disappeared or that he first animals arrived there on a form of natural rafts that were blown out to sea.

For more photographs visit: http://www.burrard-lucas.com/madagascar.


source: dailymail

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Bruised, tied up and caged: The desperate plight of starving orangutans forced into villages to look for food as their rainforest home is destroyed

By WIL LONGBOTTOM

Desperate: A baby orangutan clings dejectedly to its mother after she was beaten, tied up and shut in a tiny cage while looking for food in Sungai Pinyuh, Indonesia


Arms wrapped dejectedly around his mother, this baby orangutan can only cling on to her for comfort after being tied up in a cage.

The pitiful creatures were captured after going into a village in Sungai Pinyuh, Indonesia, in a desperate search for food.

They were then beaten by villagers so badly one of the primates died before being locked in the tiny cage without food or water.


Plight: Orangutan numbers have been badly hit in Indonesia and Borneo as unscrupulous logging companies tear down their rainforest habitat to sell wood or grow crops like palm oil


Rainforests cover 60 per cent of Indonesia, but orangutans - which means man of the forest - have seen their habitat cut down at an alarming rate, often to fuel the need for space to grow palm oil crops.

Many adult orangutans are killed by farmers in Indonesia and Borneo to prevent them eating crops as their natural food disappears, leaving helpless orphans to die in the wild.

Indonesia is one of the world's leading emitters of carbon dioxide, blamed for global warming.

Tropical forests play a key role in soaking up carbon dioxide and regulating the climate.


Industry: An illegal logger cuts down a tree to form planks for construction in a forest south of Sampit, Kalimantan province

source: dailymail

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You're meant to walk him... not carry him! Hugh Jackman steps out with his precious pooch

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Precious cargo: Hugh Jackman gently cradles his new French Bulldog puppy, Peaches, in his arms during a walk in New York earlier today


When your dog costs over $2,000 it's no wonder you don't want to let him out of your sight for one minute.

But, surely, the point of having a dog is to actually walk him sometimes?

Hugh Jackman was taking no chances with his precious pooch this morning though in New York, cradling him in his arms gently and only letting him down into a walled flower bed briefly.

Hugh was bundled up warmly in a zipped-up puffa jacket, to protect himself from the New York weather as he strolled with his puppy, and his son, Oscar.

Oscar wore a grey knitted pom pom hat and matching puffa jacket and not to outdone, Hugh's dog was dressed up warmly too - wearing a cute little green and brown sweater.

Hugh seemed terrified of how delicate the dog is, protectively holding him as he walked and placing him down gently.


Keep away from my dog! Hugh looks like he's incredibly protective of his two month old puppy


Guess he can be forgiven for being a little overly protective - Jackman only got the dog just over a week ago.

People magazine report that the 42-year-old actor and his wife of fourteen years, Deborra-lee Furness, took 10-year-old Oscar to a New York City pet store the Saturday before last to pick out a furry new family member.

According to a source at the store, Le Petit Puppy, they left with a 2-month-old French bulldog they named Peaches.

'Hugh was very nice, just precious,' the source told People.
French Bulldogs seem to be the new 'it dog' in Hollywood among the celebrity elite at the moment.


Just walking the dog: Hugh, and his son Oscar, let Peaches have a sniff around in the walled plant holder as they walked alongside him, keeping a close eye


Jonathan Ross is the owner of an incredibly cute puppy, named Snowball and Reese Witherspoon also favours the breed, naming her French bulldog, Coco Chanel.

Leonardo DiCaprio shares custody of his Bulldog, called Django, with his ex-girlfriend Giselle, Christina Ricci has Ramon, Michelle Trachtenberg owns little Mya and Martha Stewart's two bulldogs, Francesca and Sharky even have their own blog!
French Bulldogs make great pets - they tend to be playful and vivacious, they love making friends and doing physical activities.

On the whole they tend to get on well with other dogs and they get along very well with children.



Proud poppa: Jonathan Ross treated himself to a French Bulldog puppy when he turned fifty last month


source: dailymail

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Too fat for the cat flap: Vets warn the average moggy will be obese within a decade

By SEAN POULTER

Tubby cat: Britain's felines are getting fatter as they mirror humans by eating too much and not doing enough exercise


Many will have seen their owners pile on the pounds as obesity rates soar throughout the country.

And now the couch potato bug is spreading to cats, with vets warning half will be too fat to fit through a ­standard cat flap within ten years.

The average feline is expected to weigh 11lbs by 2020, officially obese for a normal sized animal and pushing the limits of conventional flaps.

Around a third of cats and dogs currently treated at surgeries are obese, with the excess weight creating serious health ­problems in many pets.

Experts say this will rise sharply as cats mirror the trend in humans for eating huge portions and failing to take enough exercise.

Many owners are also apparently blind to their pet’s weight problem, and are failing to control how much and what they eat.

The research by More Than Pet Insurance also found that 70 per cent of ­owners believe that their dog or cat has never been overweight, but the figures from vets demonstrate this cannot be the case.


Experts advise owners of fat cats to cut their pet’s portions by around one fifth and encourage play.


Leading veterinary surgeon, Dr Eric Jackson, said that careless owners were usually behind a cat’s weight problem, adding: ‘Sadly, we’re encouraging a nation of overweight and pampered pets.

‘It is often said that pets “grow” to become more like their owners. Certainly it is unusual to see a very trim person come in to the surgery with a very overweight pet.

‘Like humans, obese dogs and cats lose confidence. Through no fault of their own, pets are being assigned to daytime TV rather than physical activity, which leads to depression in the long term.’

Joe Inglis, resident vet of the BBC’s The One Show, said that fat cats are prone to serious health problems including heart disease, liver problems and arthritis.

He and More Than have launched a so-called ‘Cat Flap of the Future’ to deal with the problem. It has a travelator to carry a tubby tabby to the doors, which slide open to allow entry, and Mr Inglis suggests the system would have a paw pad that recognises the owner’s cat.

Alternatively, a computer chip in the cat’s collar could trigger the door to open to ensure only the owner’s animal enters. The ‘Cat Flap of the Future’ measures 13in wide by 14in tall, which compares with 6in by 8in for the traditional version.

More Than spokesman Pete ­Markey said: ‘We would recommend that pet owners take all the necessary steps to keep their pets fit and healthy.’


source: dailymail

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Wuff love: Holly Willoughy gets given a cute puppy for the day on This Morning

By JODY THOMPSON

Ruff justice: Holly Willoughby finally gets her dog - even if only for the day


Holly Willoughby was left (dog) bowled over on today's This Morning when stand-in co-host Ben Shephard made her dream of being a proud pooch owner come true - for one day only.

Holly, 29, had previously whined at Phillip Schofield that she'd wanted a show dog - just like on Blue Peter - but he'd slapped her down saying it was 'impractical'.

But with Phillip away in Australia covering I'm A Celebrity for the show, stand-in host Ben Shepard decide to fix it for Holly to have a puppy for one day only, Jimmy Saville-style.


Furry fan: Holly and Ben Shephard make a fuss of Douglas on the This Morning set


During yesterday's look at the snow pictures that were sent in by This Morning viewers, Holly fell in love with a nine week old Labrador puppy called Dougal.

So as a surprise - and briefed by 35-year-old Ben - producers contacted the viewer and invited them to bring their puppy on show today.

Holly whimpered live on the show as desperately cute Douglas made his entrance: 'This is so amazing, I think I'm actually going to cry! I know I can't keep him forever - but it's the best ever 'show present' I've ever had.

'I love him already - it's the best thing that's ever happened on this show!'


Got it licked: Ben gets a slobbery kiss as show guest Joanna Page from Gavin and Stacey and Holly look on delighted


Canine cuddle: Funnyman Ricky Gervais - who's a big fan of animals - gets a hug from adorable Douglas


Guest Ricky Gervais also appreciated a canine companion on the show, so perhaps Phillip when change his mind about a This Morning dog when he returns from Oz.

Phil, 48, and Holly had their first argument on the show in September over whether to get a dog.

Holly said they could share custody of the pet during holidays, but her co-host insisted: 'I don't want it! That's the thing - I don't want a dog!'

But Holly hit back: 'Well I do! Let's not have our first row.'

However, after a day on set, Douglas went home with his owners, his starring role on This Morning over - so Phil will find it happily dog free when he returns from Down Under.


On the couch: Holly loved having Douglas on the show


And after her dog for a day today, Holly's morning got even better when Ben also presented her with the TV Times Award for Favourite Programme for This Morning.

On receiving the award, Holly said, 'Thank you so much - and I know Phil if he was here he would want to say thank you as well because it is voted for by the viewers...and actually it's the first award the show has won since Phil and I have presented together so it's extra special.'

Holly, who's married to TV producer David Baldwin and pregnant with her second child, started co-presenting This Morning in September last year.




source: dailymail

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Ivor itch: How a bull with urge to scratch himself on telegraph pole plunged villages into darkness

By LUKE SALKELD

Disruptive bull: Ivor the five-year-old bull that caused the power cuts near the village on Saunton, Devon, by rubbing himself against a telegraph pole


He certainly looks like a powerful beast, even when he’s not at full charge.
This 2,000lb bull cast a shadow over 500 homes by scratching his rump on a small electricity pylon.

Three remote villages were left without power, suffering regular blackouts as the animal kept disconnecting them from the National Grid.

Residents of Saunton, Croyde and Georgeham, on the north Devon coast, were sporadically plunged into darkness for hours.


The field at Saunton where power company workers saw the bull rubbing himself against the wire stays


The source of the problem baffled power company chiefs until engineers spotted five-year-old Ivor in action after a four-day search involving a helicopter, electronic pathfinder equipment and a team of engineers on foot.

An investigation revealed a steel pole supporting the pylon near Saunton Golf Club had been left ‘shiny’ from where the animal had been rubbing against it. The contact made a pole wobble causing internal wires to hit together, breaking the circuit.


The bull rubbed himself against these wire stays. In doing so he iis thought to have triggered automatic circuit breakers that caused the power cuts


Western Power Distribution spokesman Irene Evans said: ‘It was quite a hefty animal and had caused some damage. We think he’d been busy for a while.’

Georgeham and Mortehoe parish councillor Pat Barker said the villages were not on the mains gas supply and residents relied on their electricity supply more than most.

‘One Sunday we had a power cut that lasted for eight or nine hours,’ she said. ‘We’re out on a limb and, without power, things can get pretty bad. One night I had to cook dinner on an open fire.’

Betty Wickins, 79, who lives in Croyde, said: ‘We have a lot of power cuts round here, but they got especially bad a few weeks ago – there were three in one morning.

'It’s very difficult to keep warm at this time of the year as it is.’

Once they’d discovered the problem, engineers had to shut down the power manually to make emergency repairs and put up fencing around the pylon.

The bull’s owner, Roland Dibble, 82, of Warren Farm in Saunton, said: ‘I was pretty stunned when I saw half a dozen vans on my land investigating the power cuts.
‘I assumed it had been the bad weather causing blackouts.’


Protection: The pole has now had a wooden fence built around it to protect it from further bull antics

source: dailymail

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He's a handful - but just barely: Rare peek at the baby giant panda so small he doesn't yet have a name

Little bundle of joy: A baby giant panda, born November 3, is held by Dr Hayley Murphy, left, and Amy Allagnon during a check up at Zoo Atlanta today


He's still smaller than a house cat - but this baby giant panda is growing fast.

Veterinarians have declared the Zoo Atlanta newborn cub - who, at just over a foot long, weighs just 2.2lbs - healthy and happy.

The cub, who is just one month old, has not been named yet. The zoo says he will be named when he is 100 days old, following Chinese tradition.


Hello world! The little fellow, who has not yet been named, appears to be waving during a veterinary exam in Atlanta today


He is so young that he is still being shielded from the public while he grows stronger. Zoo officials will not place him in the spotlight until he is at least four months old and can walk.

In the meantime, though, he is already proving a handful.

During a weekly exam the cub was quiet, laying in a small bed as two veterinarians listened to his heart beat. He wriggled around a bit as the vets took various measurements.

'His abdomen's really round and full, and that's what we really like in a baby,' said Dr Hayley Murphy, director of veterinary services at Zoo Atlanta.


When I grow up: Veterinary technician Amy Allagnon cradles the baby in her hands as Dr Hayley Murphy, director of veterinary services, looks on during the checkup today


Growing big and strong: Dr Murphy measures the panda's paw. When he can walk on his own he will be introduced to the public


'That just tells us he's eating well and his abdomen's full of milk.'

Before he was brought into the exam room, the cub could be heard making a squawking sound, like a bird. Zoo staff said he was calling to his mother because he had rolled onto his back after she set him down.

'He's still kind of categorized as a newborn so, you know, he should not be that active yet,' Dr Murphy said.

'They should be fairly quiet, not too squirmy, relaxed. As long as he's warm and well-fed, he's like any other infant, he's happy.'


Bye for now: The panda snoozes in a warm blanket. Dr Murphy said that as long as he was well fed and warm he would be happy


This is the third cub for the cub's mother, Lun Lun. She was inseminated earlier this year with the sperm of her mate, Yang Yang. The duo's other cubs are Mei Lan, born in 2006, and Xi Lan, born in 2008.

Zoo Atlanta has had Lun Lun and Yang Yang for a decade.

Xi Lan still lives in Atlanta, but his older sister Mei Lan was returned to China in February to help breed more of the endangered animals. China owns all the pandas in the United States, even the cubs that are born here.

Atlanta is one of four U.S. zoos with giant pandas. The others are San Diego, Memphis and Washington, D.C.

Researchers estimate there are only 1,600 to 3,000 of the endangered species remaining in the wild, and another 200 in captivity.

Until the panda is on public display, fans can watch the cub's growth on the zoo's online panda cam.


source :dailymail

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