Having a wild time! Katie Holmes looks delighted as she takes Suri to feed giraffes at the zoo

By LEAH SIMPSON

Delighted: Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise fed giraffes at the Bronx Zoo n New York City today

Her love life could quite possibly be back on after she was pictured following a dinner date with a mystery man last night.
And Katie Holmes still appeared to be beaming today she took her daughter Suri Cruise on a trip to the Bronx Zoo.
The girls were seen feeding the giraffes along with other visitors to the New York City attraction and while the treat was probably for her child with Tom Cruise, Katie seemed the most thrilled.

Capturing the moment: The actress took pictures of her six-year-old girl feeding giraffes

The actress grinned with her tongue between her teeth as she extended branches to the animals, which can often be found on safari expeditions.
While her six-year-old little girl could be seen looking very focused on the task at hand, Holmes made sure to snap away at the precious moments on her phone, in between gasping with delight.
The brunette pulled her hair back in a messy ponytail and donned a black and white striped tank top with blue jeans for the outing.

Girls day: Katie wore a casual black and white striped top and jeans

After finalising her divorce from Suri’s actor father earlier this month, Holmes’ life just seems to be going from strength to strength.
She recently landed a role on the Broadway production Dead Accountants and last night she was accompanied by a male friend for a nice meal in the Big Apple.
Although she has been making the most of her time with Suri recently, taking her on late night ice cream trips as well as fun children’s activities during the day, Katie enjoyed some adult time.

Precious moment: Holmes has been making the most of her time with Suri around the time of her splitting with Tom Cruise

Family fun: Katie looked even more impressed than Suri did with the majestic creatures

She got dressed up and left the eatery looking jolly, a feeling that she can’t seem to shake off it seems.
Despite her personal and career successes, it would appear that Katie has decided to lie relatively low for the moment and take advantage of simple pleasures.
She has cancelled what would have been her first official public appearance since her split, at tonight's Dizzy Feet Foundation gala.

Happy: Tom Cruise also seemed in good spirits when he was spotted leaving a Malibu eatery with a huge smile on his face

Love interest? Holmes was all smiles after having a dinner date with a mystery male at Nomad in NYC last night

source: dailymail

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Under the weather: Stunning pictures reveal how the insect world copes during a downpour

By MARK PRIGG

A snail and grasshopper in rainy weather in the Voronezh region, Russia.

It is a familiar feeling for those of us who have been caught in a downpour on the way to work. However, the insect world also struggles with the wet weather, these astonishing pictures show.
They reveal that during a downpour, insects will do anything to get out of the way of giant (for them, anyway) raindrops - even occasionally using other insects as a makeshift umbrella.
Taken by Russian photographer, Vadim Trunov in the Voronezh region in the west of his country, they show a variety of insects dealing with a downpour.

The stunning closeup views also show the incredible beauty of raindrops on a leaf, captured next to an ant, and shoe butterflies sheltering while holding on to each other for safety.
Many of the images focus on snails, as part of a series Trunov calls 'Planet of the snails'.
The images have already become a hit on the photo sharing site 500px, where they have been viewed over 240,000 times.

An ant tests the water with its antenna in the Voronezh region of Russia.

Trunov takes his pictures using a macro lens to capture close up details with incredible clarity.
The tiny creatures made their way to a puddle where they helped themselves to a refreshing drink.
Because of their tiny size the surface of the water was strong enough to support the thirsty creatures, making for these incredible images.
Vadim explained how the snails and ants came to roam in his garden.
'In hot and dry weather snails hide in secluded areas of the garden,' he said.
'That’s where there is always a dark, cool and humid.

A snail with a spiral shell perched on the surface of a puddle in rainy weather in Voronezh region, Russia.

'On rainy days the snail crawling on a hunt, causing enormous damage to our gardens.
'Snails feed on virtually every green that comes their way, often at the root of destroying the aerial parts of young plants.'
Vadim also explained how ants are able to travel on water.
'If you throw an ant in the water, it will not sink:,' he said.
'The ant body is covered with water-repellent wax-like substance.
'It is also surrounded by air bubbles attached to his exoskeleton.
'So the surface tension of the water supports the insect and the ant can walk freely on the water’s surface.'

A snail with a spiral shell in rainy weather in Voronezh region, Russia.

Time to reflect: A butterfly rests over water in the Voronezh region, Russia.

Time for a drink: An ant tests the water with it's antenna in the Voronezh region of Russia.

A snail glides on the surface of a puddle in the Voronezh region, Russia.

An ant tests the water with its leg in the Voronezh region of Russia.

A red ant tests the surface of a puddle in the Voronezh region of Russia.

Waterworld: Insects caught in a downpour in the Voronezh region of Russia.

A gastropod with a spiral shell perched on a mushroom in rainy weather in Russia.

An amazing views of a raindrop splashing a snail in Russia.

An ant drinks water in the Voronezh region of Russia.

A butterfly avoids raindrops in the Voronezh region, Russia.


Ants walk on water in the Voronezh region of Russia.

source: dailymail

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Shark resorts to impressive backflips in struggle to escape deep-sea fisherman's hook... and the acrobatics pay off

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Flying fish: A 360kg mako shark stuns fishermen by performing a series of somersaults after being hooked during a deep-sea tournament off San Diego

Gymnasts limbering up for the London Olympics would be proud of this shark's acrobatics.
The 360kg mako astounded fishermen by pulling off nine somersaults, each several metres in the air, after being hooked during a tournament off the coast of San Diego.
The unique encounter, which was captured on video, had the fishermen whooping with delight and disbelief at the incredible backflips it was performing

Like a salmon: The mako leaps out of the sea and soars several feet into the air with the hook in its mouth

'I have never seen anything like that in my life,' the boat's captain Mark Martin told ninemsn.
Mr Martin, who runs the San Diego Saltwater Flyfishing operation, said mako sharks had a reputation for leaping out of the water, but not as dramatically as this.
'I think he just felt something pulling on his cheek and he didn't like it so that was why he reacted like that,' he said.

Splashdown: The shark twists mid-air before landing back in the water to the amazement of the fishermen

He did not believe the shark was in pain.
The annual Flying Mako tournament, which was held last week, was a 'catch and release' event where all fish are put back into the sea.
Makos, which are often found in tropical seas, have been recorded reaching speeds of 50kmh (31mph) with bursts of as much as 74kmh (46mph).
They are a highly sought-after game fish and have even been known to jump into a boat after being hooked.

Nimble: Mako sharks can reach speeds of up to 46mph and have even been known to leap into fishing boats after being hooked (file picture)

source: dailymail

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Baked crab! Hilarious pictures of sunbathing crustacean prove it's really NOT better under the sea but on the sand

By LAURA COX

Life's a beach: The cheery crab catches some rays in California

When hot weather strikes there are few who can resist the charms of the beach for a spot of sunbathing, including this crab.
It was spotted soaking up rays on the shore of California's South Lake Tahoe by photographer Nick Brown who whipped out his camera to get a shot of it.
The crab appeared in its element as it posed for the camera, enjoying itself too much to even think about snapping back.
'I was down on the beach just for a walk and stumbled across this little guy taking in the hot weather,' Brown told The Sun.

'There was something almost human-like about how he was enjoying the rays.
'He was definitely content sitting there, although it was so hot I’m sure it wasn’t long before he went back to cool off in the water.'
The England-born photographer now lives in Sausalito, California, working mainly out of a San Francisco office.


Chillaxing: The crab was spotted sunbathing by photographer Nick Brown

A scuba-diving fanatic, much of Brown's work features sea life.
His find comes a week after family in Washington State discovered Jesus Christ's image peering up at them from the underside of a crab.
In a bizarre twist, the face was also the spitting image of Osama bin Laden.
The family were unloading a pot of crabs into their boat when they filmed the creature.
They finally spotted the holy - or evil - crab, while watching the film after they got home from holidays, and were dumbfounded.

source: dailymail

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Young, wild and carefree: Endangered new-born wildcats at play under their mother's watchful glare... as UK experts warn of challenge to save the spec

By ROB WAUGH

Furry tale: It is one of two wildcat kittens - named Brave and Merida from the Disney film - who are a big hit at Highland Wildlife Park, near Aviemore, Invernessshire

They stare into the camera with wide-eyed innocence.
But it will not be long before these cute kittens grow into powerful predators.
Two young wildcats, named Brave and Merida after the Disney characters, were born at the animal park at Kincraig run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
Their arrival came as it emerged that as few as 400 of Scotland's wildcats survive in the wild, as the species is under threat from inter-breeding.

However, a new DNA test is offering hope that the species might survive. The test, which could be ready by Christmas, could identify which cats are pure-bred, and which are hybrid and pave the way for a breeding programme which could save the species.
It would allow for the testing of cats both in captivity and in the wild and for measures to be taken to protect those pure-bred wildcats that remained from being hybridised into extinction.

Wild at heart: A genetic test is currently under development which, if successful, will show definitively whether individual cats are pure-bred wildcats or hybrids

Last of its kind? With just 400 thought to remain in the wild and those under threat from inter-breeding these could be some of last pictures of Scotlands wildcats

The current official estimate of 400 Scottish wildcats remaining in the wild is an informed guess; the worst-case scenario ‘that there is none’ is a genuine possibility.
Douglas Richardson, animal collections manager at the Highland Wildlife Park, said: ‘We get our knickers in a twist because the Indians aren’t doing all they can to protect their tigers, or the Kenyans their black rhinos, but it’s OK for us to let this one slip through the net? I don’t think so.

The animals are one of the big attractions at the park in Kincraig, which is run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland

‘Here we have this iconic emblem of the Highlands and if we don’t get our finger out, it will become extinct, guaranteed.’
Wildcats are the only remaining large mammal predator and the only surviving cat native to Britain.
Persecution and deforestation contributed to a drop in numbers during the 18th and 19th centuries, but although suitable habitat has increased again, their numbers have continued to dwindle, due partly to disease and road accidents, but mainly to interbreeding with domestic cats.
Douglas said: ‘If you let dogs run feral, people would be up in arms for a very good reason. Cats? They think it’s all right.
‘We don’t want to stop anyone having cats, but we want to shut off the taps of more animals going to live a feral existence and cross-breeding with wildcats.’

At risk: The test, which could be ready by Christmas, would pave the way for further, much-needed wildcat conservation work

One of the two new kittens born at the wildlife park

The kittens stalk around their mother as they enjoy the sunshine at the Highland Wildlife Park

source: dailymail

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Burglar snared by dog bite: Criminal attacked by Rottweiler caught after police take DNA evidence from its teeth

By MARTIN ROBINSON

Bark off: Missy saw the burgler's hand come through this cat flap and bit it to protect her home

A family dog helped snare a burglar after biting him so hard that police were able to use blood left in the dog's mouth to trace him.
Missy, an 11 year-old rottweiler sank her teeth into the crook as he reached his hand through the cat flap at the home in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
The usually mild-mannered pet did so much damage that police were able to take DNA samples from blood left at the scene - including on Missy's teeth.
The attempted break-in happened at Pauline Cunningham’s home last week while the family were away dealing with an emergency.

'A big softie': But Missy did what she had to do to protect the family home

A neighbour who was looking after the house found the back door covered in blood and called the family back.
Pauline, 53, said: 'She’s now a crime fighting dog. Usually she’s a very docile family pet. It’s so out of character for Missy.
'She’s a big softie and a lovable old girl. In dog years, she’s an old pensioner.

Proud: Pauline Cunningham, daughter Amanda and grandaughter Kayla, 2 , with Missy. The plastic cat flap has clearly been looked at by forensics and the hole has been boarded up

'She’s as far from an aggressive dog as you could get.
'Missy must have been threatened that night. She’s used to the cats using the cat flap, so she must have heard something that spooked her.
'When the neighbours rang to explain what happened I thought they were winding me up.
'But when they told me forensic teams were in the kitchen I realised they were telling the truth.
'There was blood smeared and splattered all over the door and the kitchen.'

Takes the biscuit: Missy, seen here with two-year-old Kayla, is usually meek but was forced into action when a burglar threatened

Chilling out: The 11-year-old rottweiler takes a break from being a 'crime-fighting dog'

The neighbours who were looking after the property that night turned the lights off and left the stairgate open – meaning Missy had the run of the house and the burglar had no idea she was there.
The next morning when neighbours checked, they found the back door drenched in blood and called the Cunninghams.
The attempted break-in happened somewhere between last Thursday evening and 9.30am on Friday.

Proud: Missy's family admire her bravery when she took on the burglar and won last week

Missy’s family were away from their home at the time dealing with a family emergency.
Daughter Amanda, 25, said: 'The burglar must have reached through the cat flap trying to reach the door handle.
'Because the lights were off he wouldn’t have seen Missy coming.
'It looks like she grabbed hold of his arm and tried to pull him through.'

Fighting fit: A neighbour who was looking after the house while the Cunninghams were away found the back door covered in blood thanks to Missy's intervention

source: dailymail

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Thrown out in the recycling: Adorable kittens narrowly saved from being crushed to death by a rubbish truck by quick-thinking binmen

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Paws for thought: Jason Bembridge, left, with rescued kitten Biffa and Phil Mealing with his brother Oscar at the Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary in Barrow Gurney

Quick-thinking binmen saved two kittens from being crushed to death in a rubbish lorry after they were thrown out with the recycling.
The two unwanted moggies were sealed up in a box and left on a street among waste for recycling.
But just before it was thrown into a dustcart’s compactor, the binmen decided to check what was in the box after hearing meowing - discovering the nine-week-old kittens inside.
The cardboard box had no air holes and had been deliberately taped up to prevent the frightened animals from escaping before being left among waste put out for collection in Shirehampton Road, Stoke Bishop, Bristol.

Lucky escape: The nine-week-old kittens had been sealed up in a box and left out with the rubbish for recycling

The Kittens have now been dubbed Biffa - after a recycling company - and Oscar - after the famous trash can-living character from the Sesame Street TV show.
The two-man crew who work for May Gurney recycling team took them to a local vet who told them the animals were brothers.
Driver Phil Mealing, 44, said: 'I picked the box up and it was covered in brown tape. It felt like there was something loose inside and we have to keep things separated for recycling so I tore a bit of the tape off and found a kitten staring back at me.
'I assume somebody must have dumped them on their way past but it makes you wonder who thinks like that.
'There was a vet just 50 yards down the road - why didn’t they just take them there and say they had found them?
'I’m glad we did spot them. If they had gone in the compactor it doesn’t bear thinking about.'

source: dailymail

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You must have been told a porky: 'Micro' pig grows to 25 stone and takes over its owners' home

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Pork flop: Babe the 'micro' pig has grown to a whopping 25 stone and has taken over the home of owners Colin and Susie Webb

A couple who bought a trendy micro pig as a pet have been left stunned after the supposedly pint-sized porker grew to a whopping 25 stone and took over their terraced home.
Just 19 months ago 'Babe' was irresistibly cute and so small all four of her tiny trotters would fit in a tea cup.
Colin Webb took one look at the nine ounce pink bundle he’d found for sale on the internet and cheerfully handed over £250 to buy her as a gift for his wife Susie.

Feet up: Colin Webb thought a micro pig would make an ideal household pet and bought Babe on the internet for £250 as a gift for his wife Susie

But while the miniature pigs owned by the likes of Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham grew to around four and a half stone and 14 inches tall - then stopped - the Webbs’ pet had other ideas.
Babe's already a three foot, 25 stone monster and is getting bigger every week on a diet of pig pellets, bananas, strawberries and a daily dose of cod liver oil to keep her joints supple.

Bacon sandwich: Babe's owner's Colin and Susie Webb are slowly being muscled out of their own home by the giant porker

She is now so large she cannot even fit into the kitchen in the Webbs’ three-bedroom terraced home. She used to snooze at the bottom of their bed each night, but can no longer make it up the stairs.
So now she sleeps in the living room on their sofa - which Colin has had to have specially re-enforced with chipboard to take her weight.

Table manners: Babe, a cross between a miniature Pot Bellied pig and a Gloucester Old Spot, was only supposed to grow to around four and a half stone

And any hope the Webbs once had of getting Babe to trim down a touch with a bit of exercise have long gone.
'She just won’t leave the house any longer,' said Colin.
'I used to take her for walks on a lead, I got a special licence from Defra to do that, but she’s not having that anymore. She flatly refuses to put a trotter past the front step.
'There’s nothing I can do. You can’t pull a 25 stone pig somewhere it doesn’t want to go. She spends all day in the living room now in front of the telly. I used to be able to hold her in the palm of my hand.'

Pint-sized: Susie with Babe shortly after they got her before her incredible growth spurt

But bizarrely, the Webbs are delighted to share their small home with their ever larger pet pig.
'She’s easier to look after than any man,' said Susie, 53, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
'She never makes a mess when she goes to the toilet, she never complains about her food and she doesn’t snore when she’s asleep.'
Former maintenance engineer Colin, 57, added: 'When she started growing I got in touch with the farmer down in Lincolnshire I bought her off. I thought maybe there had been a mistake and ‘Babe’ wasn’t a micro pig.

Part of the family: Despite her size, the Webbs say they are delighted to share their home with Babe

'But I’ve contacted other people who got pigs from the same litter and they all stayed small.
'I don’t know what’s happened with ours, maybe we overfed her a bit, but she’s one heck of a size now.

source: dailymail

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