Portraits of giant insects ... that are actually stunning close-ups of tiny creepy-crawlies

By MIKE O'BRIEN



Red alert: A stunning close-up of a fly caught up in some pink wool is an incredible example of macro-photography



Nobody really likes insects, bar a few cranks, natural historians and curious toddlers.

But these amazing images lend them the kind of pictorial beauty normally reserved for fluffy kittens.

The pictures are from the style of macro-photography where typically the finished portrait of a subject is greater than the life size.





A colourful character: The sympetrum fonscolombii, red-veined darter, a native dragonfly of southern Europe who in recent years has made his way up to the UK and Ireland



The stunning examples here capture insects not normally seen by most of us.

From a colourful dragonfly holding a raindrop between its legs to a caterpillar nestling in a flower, each picture presents a level of detail rarely seen before.

The photos were shot all over the world but one thing for sure, you wouldn't be so impressed if one of these fine subjects was making its way up for shoulder.



Sweet refreshment: A dragon fly cradles a raindrop as it perches on a branch



Just blending in: A praying mantis looks poised for a kill while right, a Leaf Katydid sits on an aloe in the Thanda Game Reserve in South Africa



Pretty in pink (with a dash of blue): The common blue butterly, the Polyommatus icarus, a Northern Hemisphere variety



Name that insect: A tight, close-up view of a white moth, and right, honey bees get to work on an orange helen's flower (Helenium) 'Sahin's Early Flowerer'



Peek-a-boo: A praying mantis and another unspecified bug play cat and mouse on a branch



Primary colours: A bright blue caterpillar with a yellow face make its way round a petal but, wait, what's that hiding in the middle of the flower ... his buddy, perhaps



Getting cozy: Seven spot ladybird, the Coccinella 7-punctata appears comfortable in a camelia



Nectar: A crab spider hugs a Campanula flower and, right, a Meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum) makes light work of some Timothy grass



The great debate: Grasshoppers meet on the broad leaf of a plant to make a lot of noise together



It came from another planet: A praying mantis in her all glory



source: dailymail

Read more!

'These are the actions of a sadistic human being': Hunt for twisted thug who fed kitten to python in sick video

By CRAIG MACKENZIE



Killer: A yellow Burmese python which can grow as long as 19ft and squeezes its prey to death



A hunt has been launched for a sadistic pet owner who filmed himself feeding a kitten to a python.

The vile video, entitled Python Christmas, shows a man in his 20s carrying the kitten called Jasmine into a bedroom in a Santa hat and then placed on a bed.

Lurking half-hidden under a pillow lay a yellow Burmese python, which can grow up to 19ft long and is one of the largest snakes in the world.



The bait: The kitten is distracted and moments later the python pounces and wraps its coils around its prey



Jasmine is seen slowly walking across the bed until the thug distracts her and she fatally turns her back on the danger.

The snake pounces, wrapping the kitten in its coils as it squeezes the life out of the playful animal.

Once the kitten's tail stops moving the snake swallows her whole — head first. Its cries of agony are drowned out by the Christmas song Little Drummer Boy playing in the background of the video.

At the end of the seven-minute footage there is a chillingly threat of more 'feeding videos'. It was posted on a site called Flix from an account registered in Islington, north London.



If caught, the sicko faces six months' jail and a £20,000 fine for causing unnecessary suffering under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Among the few clues to his identity are that he is a fan of the Disney film Aladdin. Images and songs from the movie have been posted on his YouTube site.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: 'There is no excuse for feeding a live cat to a python.'

Vet Pete Wedderburn told the Sun: 'The kitten is probably no older than four months. It has no hiding place and can't get away. These are the actions of a sadistic human being.'



source: dailymail

Read more!

Good gumdrops! Meet the tummy-busting Christmas Gummy Bear that packs a 32,000 calorie punch

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Handle with care: The Party Gummy Bear will cost £129, but creators say it will provide the perfect party talking point

Sweet lovers searching for the perfect sugar fix this Christmas need to look no further than this gigantic 32,000 calorie gummy bear.
Weighing five times more than the world's largest gummy bear, the 'Party Gummy Bear' is not for the feint-hearted - containing enough calories to sustain the average adult for over two weeks in its 265 snack-sized servings.
Manufactured in St Louis, Missouri, the 11kg candy beast features a one litre tummy bowl, perfect for serving drinks or more sweet treats from at festive parties.

Whopper: The Party Gummy Bear contains 32,000 calories and weighs in at a staggering 11kg

And children desperate to have the sugary giant in their stockings this Christmas may need to cancel the Xbox or pony orders - as the 'Party Gummy Bear' will set back mum and dad a whopping £129.
Available to order from website www.vat19.com, the 17-inch bear, which remarkably has a one year shelf life, is available in red cherry, orange, green apple, and blue raspberry flavours.

Heads up: The Party Gummy Bear has a shelf life of one year

A spokesman for the product said: 'One fateful day in July, we dared to imagine a gummy bear so massive that it would be its own candy containment device.
'A few short months later, the Party Gummy Bear was born. We cannot think of any better way to serve candy than from within the tummy of a massive gummy bear.'

Self-confessed sweet addict Sarah Johnson, from Birmingham, was amazed when she saw the monstrous bear.

'I can't believe someone has thought to make a gummy bear this big,' said the 26-year-old receptionist.
'It's been years since I've had a pack of gummy bears but I am always munching on a pack of sweets at work and am definitely going to get my boyfriend to buy me this for Christmas.
'It might say it can last for a year but I think between me and my sister it would be all gone by the New Year.'

source: dailymail

Read more!

Photographer's incredible images capture the rare moment a mother hyena brings her offspring above ground

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER



Stunning: Wildlife photographer Rajesh Pardeshi captured the rare moment a mother hyena brought her offspring above ground in Ahmednagar, India



These incredible photographs have captured the rare moment a mother hyena brings her offspring above ground.

Hyenas are nocturnal animals and the young are born and raised in underground burrows - so daytime pictures of young cubs are very unusual.

Wildlife photographer Rajesh Pardeshi managed to capture the amazing shots in Ahmednagar, India.



The images show a cub looking cheekily towards the camera before being cleaned by its mother.

Mr Pardeshi also took an amazing picture of the two cubs staring towards the sky with the mother howling at the slowly rising moon.

He said: 'These photos were taken about 35km from my home town.

'I couldn't believe it when I saw this hyena mother with her brood in broad daylight.



Rare: Hyenas are nocturnal animals and the young are born and raised in underground burrows - so daytime pictures of young cubs are very unusual



'It is very, very rare to see them out in the open like this.

'I have been tracking striped hyena for the last few years and these are the best images I've got.

'Because they are nocturnal animals it is very difficult to get decent pictures taken in good light.

'And to be able to get the mother with the cubs is an extremely rare event.

'I'm used to sleeping outdoors and I spend many days trying to get shots like this.

'I like these pictures because they are something of a triumph.



source: dailymail

Read more!

He's joined the camera club: Safari tourists discover why you shouldn't leave things lion around

By VALERIE ELLIOTT



Paws for your close-up: A cub moves into focus with a lion behind the lens after tourists dropped their camera equipment



This is the extraordinary moment when two young lions grabbed a camera and tripod dropped by tourists on safari – and ended up taking pictures themselves.

The cub and three-year-old male companion closed in on the equipment belonging to two Belgian travellers after it fell out of their group’s Land Cruiser on an early morning expedition. The animals pounced within moments of the camera hitting the ground. And not only did the predators manage to nudge the button to take pictures, the younger lion seemed to be a willing model.



The older animal then took matters into his own hands – or at least his jaws – as he seized the camera tripod in his mouth.

The moment was captured by photographer Paul Goldstein at the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya.

He said: ‘It took a little while for them to realise the camera wasn’t a meal before they used it as intended.



The lion grips the tripod dropped from the safari vehicle. The moment was captured by photographer Paul Goldstein at the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya.



'The cub seems to have enjoyed the attention. The lions managed to fire off four actual shots.’ But he added that the pictures were ‘out of focus and poorly composed’.

Mr Goldstein, who is a guide for Exodus Travel, said: ‘The tourists got their battle-scarred gear back after 15 minutes. Amazingly, it still worked but it’s not likely to fetch much on eBay.’



The tourists got their damaged camera equipment back eventually and remarkably it still worked



source: dailymail

Read more!

And they're off! Pandas settle into airline crates ahead of 26 hour flight from China to Britain

By MAIL ON SUNDAY REPORTER



Nervous flyer? Yang Guang is fed with apples in the minutes before his loading onto the plane to Scotland



The pair, whose names translate to Sweetie and Sunshine, are currently travelling on a Boeing 777F flight, along with a vet and two animal handlers.

Gerald P Leary, president of FedEx Express Europe, said there had been 'months of preparation and planning to ensure the pandas' travel is safe and comfortable at every stage of their journey'.



Heavy load: Giant panda Yang Guang is hauled onto the plane at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, ready for his trip to Scotland



The first giant pandas to arrive in Britain for nearly 20 years will today jet into Edinburgh - after years of diplomatic negotiations.

Tian Tian and Yang Guang will arrive at the city's zoo at 1pm, following a gruelling 26-hour journey on board a specially-chartered FedEx Panda Express flight from south-west China.

The eight-year-old breeding pair will then be taken to their new £300,000 enclosure where they will stay for at least 10 years.



Special delivery: The FedEx Panda Express has special livery for the flight



Pipers will play as the bears arrive at the zoo, where they will be welcomed by dignitaries representing China, the UK, Scotland and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).

The pandas will have two weeks to settle in to their new surroundings before going on display to the public.



Loaded up: Tian Tian sat peacefully in a cage, before being taken to the airport



The pair will be kept under a strict six-month quarantine, with keepers wearing protective suits and being trained in avoiding bites, amid concerns the pandas could be carrying rabies.

Their arrival marks the culmination of a five-year effort to bring the giant pandas to Scotland.

Princess Anne, Prime Ministers David Cameron and Gordon Brown and First Minister Alex Salmond were all involved before China agreed to loan the pandas to Edinburgh Zoo for ten years.

It is 17 years since the UK’s last giant panda, Ming Ming, left London Zoo to return to China.

Zoo chiefs have described it as a 'historic occasion' for the visitor attraction and the UK as a whole. Tourism body VisitScotland welcomed their impending arrival.

A spokeswoman said: 'The zoo is offering a unique opportunity to see these charming animals, helping to encourage increased visitor numbers to Edinburgh and Scotland.'



Farewell party: A Chinese woman sees off the pandas, who are on their way to Edinburgh for an extended stay



Fragile cargo: The bears are loaded into special crates before boarding a plane heading for Edinburgh



The pair were born in 2003 and lived at the Ya'an reserve in Chengdu, China. During their time in Edinburgh, they will be in the care of the RZSS.

Online footage of the two animals, from four hidden 'panda-cams' in their enclosures, is expected to attract viewers from around the world. Zoo bosses are hopeful that the pandas will give birth to cubs.

The Scottish Government has said the loan of the pandas symbolises a 'growing friendship' between Scotland and China.

First Minister Alex Salmond, who is currently in China, will thank the Chinese vice premier, Li Keqiang, in a meeting in Beijing tomorrow.

Mr Salmond said: 'As panda-mania hits Scotland, and we extend a warm Scottish welcome to Tian Tian and Yang Guang, I am delighted to have the opportunity to personally thank the Chinese government and extend our thanks to vice premier Li Keqiang, who visited Edinburgh himself earlier this year.



Bring me Sunshine: Giant pandas Sweetie and Sunshine will arrive in Scotland today after a 5,000-mile journey from China



Bulking up: Sunshine pictured tucking into some bamboo in his enclosure before embarking on his journey this week



'The great gift of these giant pandas symbolises the great and growing relationship between Scotland and China which we will take further forward tomorrow when vice premier Li and I meet and discuss Scotland and China's business, cultural and diplomatic links which are growing ever stronger to the benefit of both nations.'

Mr Salmond wants to strengthen ties between the governments and forge better cultural and business links during his trip to several mainland cities and Hong Kong.

However animal welfare campaigners have criticised the pandas' move to Scotland, suggesting it was not a credible way to go about saving the species.



Going the distance: Sweetie and her mate Sunshine will be the first pandas to live in the UK for 20 years



A spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) said: 'Edinburgh Zoo is putting the 'con' in conservation by trying to hoodwink the public into believing that the salvation of pandas lies in warehousing these sensitive animals.'

Chris Draper, of the Born Free Foundation, said the panda deal was a 'short-sighted and retrograde step'.

Edinburgh Zoo’s computers crashed almost as soon as the pandas’ arrival was announced last week.

A spokesman said: ‘We have had tremendous interest and expect ticket sales to soar when the pandas are actually here.’















source: dailymail

Read more!

He has an eye for an eye! Photographer's incredible close-up shots of animals that reveal the inner beauty of nature

By REBECCA SEALES



The eye of a Veiled Chameleon, which boasts 360-degree vision



These are the eye-catching images which capture the beauty in the eyes of the animal kingdom.

The colourful pictures show the delicate detail of a variety of animal eyes, from a tiger to a tree frog and a penguin to a parrotfish.

Perhaps the most remarkable is the eye of the veiled chameleon (below) whose upper and lower eyelids are joined together.



Always watchful: The eye of a Green Tree Python



The creature sees through just a pinhole-sized pupil, but can rotate its eyes by 360 degrees.

By focusing each eye independently, the chameleon can look at two different objects simultaneously. But if prey is sighted, deploying both eyes in the same direction will ensure a sharp view of insects up to 10 metres away.



Pretty in pink? The eye of a military macaw



The green tree python, like all snakes, has an ever-watchful slit for an eye (above).

Covered by a thin veil of clear scales rather than an eyelid, the snake’s eye can remain constantly open. When it wants to sleep, the snake buries its face in the coils of its body.#

Joel Satore, a photographer who took a number of the shots, said: 'Animal eyes are really amazing to me, truly the gems in the crown when you consider how an entire animal looks.

'Some cat species, as well as some snakes and geckos all have great eyes, as if they come from another world.'



Ancient: The eye of a Grand Cayman Blue Iguana



The 45-year-old from Nebraska used a Nikon D-3 camera with either a 60mm or 105mm macro lens, to capture the eyes of animals he photographed at zoos and aquariums worldwide.

He added: 'I'm often so close to the animals I can smell their breath, which in the case of meat eaters is often both foul smelling and frightening at the same time.

'I decided to photograph animal eyes to try to get people to care about these endangered animals before it's too late.



source: dailymail

Read more!

A soldier's best friend: Family of British para killed by sniper in Afghanistan welcome home the stray dog who never left his side

By EMILY ALLEN



Man's best friend: Conrad Lewis on patrol in Qudrat, Afghanistan with his beloved dog Peg. He fed the dog his rations and she never left his side, even accompanying him during fierce fire fights against Taliban insurgents

Before his death Conrad adopted the dog and nicknamed her Peg - short for Pegasus - in honour of the Para's winged horse emblem.



A grieving family fulfilled their soldier son's final wish of rescuing the dog he befriended in Afghanistan just months before he was killed.

The parents of paratrooper Conrad Lewis wept with joy as they greeted their son's best friend Peg who bounded up to them after completing six months in quarantine.

Conrad was killed by a Taliban sniper in Helmand Province on February 9 this year just two months before he was due home.



Home: Tony and Sandi Lewis from Warwickshire with Peg who they say has made herself right at home since she left quarantine. She went on her first British walk this week



He fed the dog his rations and she never left his side, even accompanying him during fierce fire fights against Taliban insurgents.

Conrad wanted to keep Peg as a pet after his tour of duty but was killed weeks before he was due to fly home.



Yesterday Conrad's parents Tony and Sandi took Peg out for her first walk on British soil at their home in Claverdon, Warwickshire.

A day earlier the family, and sister Siobhan, 17, collected Peg from the Bayton Lodge International Quarantine Kennels in nearby Bulkington.

Mr Lewis, 49, said: 'So many people have worked so hard to bring Peg back from Afghanistan, we are extremely grateful to them.



Peg with a painting of Conrad who adopted her while he was serving in Afghanistan. He was killed by a sniper



'We don't know what the coming weeks and months will bring but we are looking forward to it.

'The most important thing is that Peg is home in time for Christmas.

'Peg has slipped in right at home. It feels like she has been with us for 20 years.

'We have a large picture of Conrad resting against the wall and Peg walked over to it and seemed to bow her head. It was very touching.'



Walkies: Tony and Sandi Lewis take Peg for her first walk. She has joined the family's nine-year-old British Bulldog Fergie, named after Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson



He met Peg when he was posted with A Company, 3 Para, to Checkpoint Qudrat in Helmand Province in October last year.

In one of his first letters home Conrad told his family about Peg and described how she would go out on patrol with the unit and sleep among the soldiers.

When Conrad returned home for leave at Christmas he told his family he wanted to bring her home at the end of his tour.



source: dailymail

Read more!

The tax office that really IS a nest of vipers: Farmers dump FORTY snakes - including deadly cobras - in protest against bribes

By JESSICA SATHERLEY



Venomous protest: People climb onto chairs and tables to defend themselves from snakes scattered in an office room in Basti, about 186 miles southeast of Lucknow, India



Two farmers fed up with alleged bribery demands emptied three bags filled with snakes in a busy tax office in northern India, an official said yesterday.

The 40 or so snakes of different sizes and species - including at least four deadly cobras - sent clerks and villagers climbing atop tables and scurrying out the door to escape the office in Basti, about 186 miles southeast of Lucknow, said Uttar Pradesh state official Ramsukh Sharma.

‘Snakes started climbing up the tables and chairs,’ he said.



‘There was total chaos. Hundreds of people gathered outside the room, some of them with sticks in their hands, shouting that the snakes should be killed.’

No one was bitten or injured in the incident on Tuesday afternoon, and police and forest officials captured the snakes.



Bid to stop bribery: Two farmers fed up with alleged bribery demands emptied the three bags filled with snakes in a busy tax office



The farmers had been asking for tax records for their land in nearby Narharpur village, but tax officials withheld the files for weeks while allegedly demanding bribes.

Sharma said their method of protest was unacceptable.

Police are searching for the farmers, who were identified as Hukkul Khan and Ramkul Ram.

Khan is known locally as a snake charmer.



Protests against corruption in India is not uncommon and nor is bribery.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators protested in August to support the creation of a new watchdog which would have the power to investigate senior bureaucrats and politicians.

And some Indian states have been posting online videos to air the stories of victims of bribery, in which they name corrupt officials.







source: dailymail

Read more!

Meet the world's heaviest insect, which weighs three times more than a mouse... and even eats carrots

By JESSICA SATHERLEY



Big appetite: A former park ranger from America found the heaviest ever recorded giant weta on New Zealand's Little Barrier Island and fed her this carrot out of his hand



A nature-lover has revealed how he spent two days tracking down a giant insect on a remote New Zealand island – and got it to eat a carrot out of his hand.

Mark Moffett’s find is the world's biggest insect in terms of weight, which at 71g is heavier than a sparrow and three times that of a mouse.

The 53-year-old former park ranger discovered the giant weta up a tree and his real life Bug's Bunny has now been declared the largest ever found.



Various species: There are over 70 types of Weta species in New Zealand but the giant weta has been named the biggest insect in the world because of its weight



He came across the cricket-like creature, which has a wing span of seven inches, after two days of searching on a tiny island.

The creepy crawly is only found on Little Barrier Island, in New Zealand, although there are 70 other types of smaller weta found throughout the country.



The giants of the species were wiped off the mainland by rats accidentally introduced by Europeans.

After Mark found the female weta he fed it the carrot before putting it back where he found her.

Mark, 53, said: ‘Three of us walked the trails of this small island for two nights scanning the vegetation for a giant weta.

‘We spent many hours with no luck finding any at all, before we saw her up in a tree.

‘The giant weta is the largest insect in the world, and this is the biggest one ever found, she weighs the equivalent to three mice.

‘She enjoyed the carrot so much she seemed to ignore the fact she was resting on our hands and carried on munching away.

‘She would have finished the carrot very quickly, but this is an extremely endangered species and we didn't want to risk indigestion.

‘After she had chewed a little I took this picture and we put her right back where we found her.’

Mark, from Colorado, America, added: ‘We bug lovers hear a lot of people who think insects are inferior in some way because of their size, so it was great to see such a big insect.

‘This became all the more amazing when we realised that this was the largest insect recorded.’



source: dailymail

Read more!

The oldfish: Two pets won at fair 34 years ago believed to be UK's oldest... and they've even gone GREY

By EMILY ALLEN

Elderly: Splish and Splash were won as a prize in 1977 and have lived for so long that they have gone grey

A pair of fairground goldfish believed to be the oldest in the UK have celebrated their 34th birthday.
Splish and Splash were won as a prize in 1977 and have lived for so long that they have gone grey.
The fish, who belong to Richard and Ann Wright, from Brockworth, Gloucestershire, have even outlived four family pet cats.
They originally belonged to the pairs son Matthew and daughter Hayley, who were six and nine when they brought the goldfish home from a county fair in Cheltenham.

Though Matthew and Hayley have now moved out to start families of their own, the fish have remained at Richard and Ann's home.
Despite having an expected lifespan of just ten years - with fairground fish often living much shorter than that - Splish and Splash have survived for three decades.

Long life: The fish belong to Richard (pictured) and Ann Wright, from Brockworth, Gloucestershire and have even outlived four family pet cats

Their owners say they are baffled as to how the fish have managed to live such long lives.
Mr Wright said: 'I've no idea why they've lasted so long, they've just been cleaned out really regularly and given a pinch of food every morning, but we haven't done anything special.
'They're amazing, really.'
He added that, like their human counterparts, the fish have started to show signs of age, with them losing their gold colour in the last few years.

Retired human resources consultant Mr Wright said: 'Since we got them they have obviously grown, although they don't dart around the tank like they used to.
'In the last few years they've lost their gold colour - they've gone grey, like me.'
The two fish shared a goldfish bowl given to Ann by a former boss, which was only replaced eight years ago with a more modern version equipped with a filter.
Mr Wright said: 'When we got the new tank my wife said 'they'll die now you've bought that new tank', but they didn't.
'We call it 'The Old Fish Home'.'

source: dailymail

Read more!

Someone been playing Jumanji? Zebras escape zoo and roam the suburbs after worker forgets to lock cage

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Running free: An escaped zebra was spotted running through a residential area after making a bid for freedom from the Leesburg Animal Park

It could have been a scene straight from the movie Jumanji,
Zebras who had escaped from a petting zoo were found wandering in a small town after an employee reportedly left their cage open.
The two animals managed to get out of their pen at Leesburg Zoo in Virginia. They were later captured by the sheriff's office and hit with tranquiliser darts before being returned to their enclosure.
Police received several calls yesterday afternoon from alarmed residents reporting zebras on the loose in traffic. No one was injured by the escaped animals.

Call of the wild: A zebra gallops through a suburban estate in the small town of Leesburg, Virginia after escaping from a petting zoo

Free to roam: One of the two zebras which escaped from the Leesburg Animal Park, Virginia after an employee left their cage open

The owner of the Leesburg Animal Park said the zebras got loose after two workers, who are not directly employed by the park, left a gate open.
This is the second time animals have escaped from the zoo in Leesburg. Last year, a type of Africa cat, a serval, got out and was hit by a car but survived.

The zebras had a fortunate escape. Last month nearly 50 wild animals - including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions - were shot by sheriff's deputies after the owner of an exotic-animal park in Ohio threw their cages open and committed suicide in what may have been one last act of spite against his neighbors and police.

Feeding time at the zoo: The zebras are one of the attractions at the Leesburg Animal Park in Virginia

Officers armed with high-powered rifles and shoot-to-kill orders fanned out through fields and woods to hunt down 56 animals that had been turned loose from the Muskingum County Animal Farm by owner Terry Thompson before he shot himself.
After an all-night hunt, 48 animals were killed. Six others - three leopards, a grizzly bear and two monkeys - were captured and taken to the Columbus Zoo. A wolf was later found dead.
Another monkey that was carrying the dangerous Herpes B virus, is believed to be dead after being eaten by one of the other animals.

Blood-shed: Sheriff's deputies shot 48 wild animals - including 18 rare Bengal tigers and 17 lions - across the state's countryside



source: dailymail

Read more!

One slippery customer: Angler snares deadly 20st stingray after four-hour battle

By LUCY BUCKLAND

Prize catch: Jeremy Wade had to pull the creature to the shore before he could finally snare the 20 stone stingray

It was the most exhausting and dangerous catch of his career.
When British angler Jeremy Wade decided to grapple with one of the world's biggest and deadliest freshwater fish he never imagined he would win the battle.
But the 53-year-old managed to snare the 20 stone monster short-tailed stingray in Argentina after a tiring four hour standoff on the River Parana near Buenos Aires.

After taking his bait of eel, the creature stuck itself to the bottom of the river, prompting an exhaustive battle of attrition with Mr Wade, host of the TV series River Monsters.
The flat fish is one of the heaviest found in the world's freshwater rivers and has been known to kill people with its lethal and poisonous barb.
The four hour stalemate was only broken when the fish became tired and Mr Wade was finally able to lift it towards the surface.

Fight: Jeremy Wade grapples with one of the world's biggest and deadliest freshwater fish that he spent four hours reeling in

Even then he had to tow it towards the shore using his boat before he could see the huge fish in all its glory.
Mr Wade, from Bath, Somerset, had to wear a pair stab-proof gloves while he handled the creature which was then released back into the water safe and well.
He said: 'This is the largest true freshwater fish that I have ever caught.
'This species is the biggest true freshwater fish in the world and this must be one of the biggest of the species.



source: dailymail

Read more!

Come on then, if you think you're hard enough: Feisty jackal takes on huge lion

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Sharing a drink: The jackal strolls by the lion as it bends down to sip water from a watering hole at the the Ongava Game Reserve in Namibia

When you're sat on by a large male lion you would consider yourself lucky just to escape unscathed.
But this feisty jackal appears so angry at the indignity that it attacks the king of the beasts.
The amazing sequence of pictures showing the unique encounter was captured next to a waterhole in the Ongava Game Reserve in Namibia.
Co-founder and Director of Research at Ongava Research Centre, Dr Ken Stratford told how this sort of behaviour by a jackal has never been seen before.

Oops! The enormous lion leans back and accidentally sits on the tiny jackal which yelps with surprise, throws its ears back and wriggles free from the tight squeeze

Dr Stratford said: ‘The tail end of the dry season is a time of year when the waterholes in Ongava Game Reserve are particularly busy. But no one in my team ever dreamed of seeing this.
‘One of our camera-traps had fired off a sequence of 10 shots revealing a black-backed jackal attacking a young adult male lion - in broad daylight.

You're not getting away with that! The plucky jackal rears up onto its hind legs and bares its sharp teeth at the surprised lion, starting a David and Goliath showdown

The fight is on: The brave jackal refuses to be intimidated by the size of the lion and moves in close enough to grab the predator's beard in its teeth

‘The feisty jackal leaps towards the lion's face risking a side-swipe from the big cat's enormous and deadly paw before continuing to prance around the lion like an irritating wasp.
‘Ominously, the lion rises to his feet, perhaps nearing the end of his patience, towering over the jackal and it is then that the jackal appears to consider the prudence of continuing the assault.
‘Wisely, the jackal decides that the lion has learned his lesson and continues his journey around the waterhole.’

source: dailymail

Read more!