Is that purse fur real? New Yorker's unusual doggy bag turns heads on the streets of Manhattan

By TAMARA ABRAHAM

What a carry-on: A Brussels Griffon was seen hanging from a harness in New York this week, the straps of the carrier slung messenger-style across his owner's bright red dress

It is not uncommon to see a small dog peeking from a handbag in pet-friendly New York City.
But one young woman turned heads on the streets of Manhattan this week when she stepped out with her Brussels Griffon hanging from a harness, the straps slung messenger-style across her body.
Her four-legged friend certainly didn't seem to mind his legs hanging free from the camo-print fabric, but it was certainly startling to see a living creature hanging from the end of her strap in lieu of a bag.

Content? The dog certainly didn't seem to mind his legs hanging free from the camo-print fabric

It didn't take long for fellow dog-owning Manhattanites to cast their verdict on the unusual pet carrier - and they weren't impressed.
'It doesn't look comfortable,' one told MailOnline. 'The poor thing's legs will probably fall asleep! I'd want to carry my dog in front of me so I could pet her, or see any discomfort.

Cruel? Fellow dog-owning Manhattanites were not impressed by the unusual pet carrier though

'It looks fashiony but I'd never use it,' she added.
'That's so cruel!' another remarked. 'Although mine does love it when I carry him around.'
One remarked that it could be uncomfortable for the owner too.

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2394009/Is-purse-fur-real-New-Yorkers-unusual-doggy-bag-turns-heads-streets-Manhattan.html
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Cute rabbit takes five to scrub behind his ears and groom himself in the sunshine

By OLIVIA WILLIAMS

The rabbit carefully cleaned his long ears in the sunshine at the Minsmere RSPB Reserve

This rabbit looks as though he is enjoying preening himself in the summer sunshine.
The animal, pictured at Minsmere RSPB Reserve, paid particular attention to his distinctive long ears as he gave his fur a spring clean.

Combing his fur with his paws, the rabbit took the time to groom himself from every angle

He spent a particularly long time checking over both sides of his ears

Clearly determined to look his best, the well turned-out mammal spent a long time carefully checking the rest of his fur for any dirt.
Rabbits keep themselves clean by washing regularly and grooming, using their teeth, tongue and claws.

Although very cute, this rabbit is a fully-grown adult as younger rabbits have very little fur when they are born

They often groom each other as a social activity, but it looks as though this one had to do it on his own.
As well as a way of looking smart, careful cleaning is a very important part of a rabbit's health.
In the warmer months they are at risk from attack by maggots, which can eat into their flesh in a condition called fly strike.

Happy with the state of his ears, using his sharp teeth the rabbit moved on to clean the rest of his body

Pleased with a job well done, the rabbit settles back down for a well-deserved rest

The risk is increased by dirty fur which attracts flies, so the rabbits have to take their grooming seriously.
Minismere RSPB Reserve where this rabbit lives is most famous for its unusual birds, such as nightingales, bitterns and avocets, but is home to all sorts of wildlife.
Rabbits in Britain mainly live in meadows and farmland but also occasionally in urban areas.

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2364103/Cute-rabbit-takes-scrub-ears-groom-sunshine.html
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From the gaping jaws of a giant shark to the intricate dance of mating seahorses - the Best Underwater Photographer of the Year Competition reveals its winner

By SARA SMYTH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

source: more photos at dailymail
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Playful pride: Big cats and their cubs take time out to relax in the savannah sunrise

Tender moment: Incredible images showing a pride of lions in intimate and tender moments together have been captured on camera

Stretching out in the sun and playfully pawing at each other is all in a day's work for the Ngamo pride in Zimbabwe.
When they aren't chasing terrified beasts, they share intimate and tender moments - some of which have been captured here on camera.
The shots show five lionesses, four cubs and one male lion as they take some down time shortly after sunrise.

At peace: The shots show five lionesses, four cubs and one male lion as they enjoy some quiet time shortly after sunrise

In the pictures the lions snuggle up in the open savannah grassland and show lots of love and affection for each other.
Carole Deschuymere, 36, got up close to the Ngamo pride in Zimbabwe but they were so enchanted with one another they didn't even realise she was there.

Up close and personal: Photographer Carole Deschuymere got up close to the Ngamo pride in Zimbabwe

Relaxing: In the pictures the lions are seen cosying up together and playfully pawing at each other as they soak up the warm African sun

In the pictures the lions are seen cosying up together and playfully pawing at each other as they soak up the warm African sun.
One image shows a cub swiping its father with a paw while another shows a cub inspecting a lioness's teeth.

Family ties: A young cub gently plays with its parent

Snapped: 'At one point when the father came into the pride he was playfully growling at one of his cubs, who gave him a playful slap in the face. It was very sweet,' said the photographer

Carole, who only started taking wildlife shots in 2011, said: 'Lions have always fascinated me because of their power and the way they interact with each other.
'This family of lions were so relaxed here they didn't pay any attention to the car I was in at all.
'At one point when the father came into the pride he was playfully growling at one of his cubs, who gave him a playful slap in the face. It was very sweet.'
Carole, who runs a clothes shop in Oostduinkerke, in Belgium, only took up wildlife photography after being inspired on a holiday to Botswana in 2010.
She added: 'When lions interact with each other in such a way as they do here, you feel very humbled to witness something as intimate as that.'

source: dailymail

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Florida zoo charges visitors $200 to swim with tiger cubs for half hour

Hot ticket: A Florida zoo is charging visitors $200 to spend 30 minutes swimming and playing with baby cubs

A private zoo in Florida is charging visitors $200 to spend a half hour swimming and playing with baby tigers.
Dade City’s Wild Things, which is located outside of Tampa, Florida, advertises its new money-making attraction as ‘an amazing encounter’ that includes ‘playing in the grass, bottle time and swim time,’ according to its website.
The zoo charges an additional $10 for anyone that wants watch the encounter. The price includes a CD with photos and videos of the experience ‘including action shots and posed shots in the water with your cub,’ according to the website.

Cooling off: Animal handlers at the Florida zoo say the big cats love to swim and interact with people

The one-on-one playtime is limited to tigers no heavier than 40 pounds, due to a state law that restricts how closely the public may interact with large cats.
Animal rights activists condemn the zoo’s practice of charging visitors for access to the animals, calling it abusive and dangerous to the animals’ health.
‘The cubs are awakened repeatedly for anyone who will pay to pet them or take photos with them,’ said one critic on the 911 Animal Abuse website. ‘Cubs don’t like holding still for petting sessions and photo opportunities. The swimming solves that problem … because the cub has to swim for dear life.’

Who said cats don't like water? The owners say the cubs like swimming, but in a report officials weren't so sure

The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued a warning citation to Dade City’s Wild Things last year for a number of violations, including an incident in which a handler forced a tiger cub into a swimming pool after the animal appeared hesitant to enter the water.
When the animal tried to exit the pool, the handler forced it to keep swimming.

Opposition: Animal rights activists say the baby tigers are being exploited and abused by the zoo

‘The cub swam towards the handler located at the pool wall and extended its paws towards the edge of the pool apparently wanting to get out of the pool,’ a U.S. Department of Agriculture official wrote in an inspection report dated September 2011. ‘Instead of pulling the cat out of the water and stopping the encounter the handler decided to continue with the swimming.’

Mixing it up: The zoo also offers swimming lessons with alligators whose mouths are taped shut

The zoo says the animals enjoy swimming and that they are especially easy to control in the water.
‘Tigers are known as the best swimmers of all the big cats, with webbing between their toes to make their feet more like flippers,’ the zoo states on its website. ‘We can manipulate them more easily as they are floating. When they are young, they love taking baths and then we slowly introduce them to the pool.’
The zoo also offers swimming lessons with alligators whose mouths are taped shut.

source: dailymail

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The itchy and scratchy show: Cat finds the perfect scratching post... a live hedgehog

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Curious: The blue British shorthair cat looks suspiciously at the hedgehog at the beginning of the YouTube video

Animal lovers may want to look away now as a cat desperately tries to scratch an itch - using a spiky hedgehog.
But while you would think the hedgehog would prove a bit prickly, this blue British shorthair appears to think it makes the perfect scratching post.
The 56 second clip posted on YouTube earlier this week shows the domesticated cat tentatively approaching the curled up hedgehog before rolling its neck around the bristles.

Scratching post: But the adorable car quickly decides to give using the hedgehog to scratch himself a go

Hitting the spot: The cat's joy at his new found scratching post is evident

And far from looking in pain, the cat's delight at his new found scratcher is evident as he closes his eyes and rolls around on the hedgehog.
He then has a quick break from his strenuous scratching - going for a lick of milk from a nearby saucer.

Lunch break: The cat has a mini break during the video for a drink of milk

But the British shorthair - voted the most popular breed of cat by the UK's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) since 2001 - soon returns to the hedgehog to continue his back scratch.
Throughout the video the cat's owners' can be heard giggling but the hedgehog remains perfectly still throughout until the briefest of movements right at the end of the video.
Many commentators debated whether the hedgehog was real or fake - with many claiming it was just instinctively hiding its head for protection.

A back scratch: But the feline quickly returns his attention to the hedgehog

Purrfect post: While the hedgehog stays still throughout the video, he doesn't curl up into a defensive stance



source: dailymail

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King of Richmond Park: Deer emerges from the undergrowth with a crown of bracken and leaves

By EDDIE WRENN

Stately: The King of Richmond Park' emerges in the morning - with a fresh crown of leaves he picked up from his rambles

He is one of the mightiest of creatures - and apparently also one of the most regal.
Other deers quickly scattered when the self-proclaimed King of Richmond Park emerged with a crown of leaves he had created from the bracken.
Photographer Mark Smith, 30, watched as the deer raked the ground in Surrey’s 2,400-acre Royal Park with his antlers - a typical show of strength.
Rutting season is underway and the males are jealously guarding their territory in the hope of attracting a mate.
The stag slowly built up his headress until it was covering his entire head.

Our deer leader: The mighty stag apparently sent other animals fleeing once he turned up with his Royal garments

Mr Smith, from Islington, London, said: 'He sensed others around and started raking up the ground to scare them off.
'As soon as he came up from the bracken wearing this great headdress, the other males just went running.
'I have been photographing deer for four years and know this happens, but I have never seen anything like this before.'

So that's his trick! The stag heads to his wardrobe - a patch of weeds and bracken - and picks out a head-dress as the rutting season gets underway

The deer then threw his head back and roared, another classic way to assert power but also attract females.
Mr Smith, an accountant, had been watching the deer at Richmond since 6am when this happened at around midday.
He estimates the deer is between eight and 10 years old and among the biggest specimens in the park’s 600-strong deer population.

The 'Amy Winehouse': Unfortunately the bee-hive is not so easy to pull off with antlers - so he begins to give up

From King to camouflage: The stag then apparently thought going undercover would be a sensible way to spend his day

Mr Smith added: 'This was a really deep roar and could be heard from quite a long way away.
'The deer take different strategies in the rutting season. Some pick a spot, whereas others will run around following females, hoping to set up a harem.
'If you’re as big as this guy, you can stay put and the does will migrate to you.'
Mr Smith, a semi-professional photographer, added: 'I love watching the deer.
'It can be quite intimidating when you’re walking through the forest early in the morning and hear a 200 kilogram beast like this roar.
'But it’s thrilling at the same time.'

In the dressing room: The deer starts to cover it self in the bracken as it prepares to look good for the camera

source: dailymail

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Bet he didn't expect that! High speed skateboard stunt brought to a sudden end for one rider as he is hit by a stray DEER

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Hey where'd you come from? As this skateboarder hurtles down the hill at a claimed speed of 40mph, a delicate looking deer veers into his path

Fun thought it might be, skateboarding down a hill at high speed is no doubt fraught with many dangers.
But it's almost certain that the unfortunate boarder didn't anticipate this particular hazard as he sped down a fire road at what is claimed to be 40mph.
The daredevil is flung into the dirt at the side of the road at phenomenal speed after he is rammed by a deer galloping alongside the group of reckless riders.

Uh on: The rider tucks in an attempt to avoid the animal, but at these speeds there's no way he can take evasive action

The video, which was just today uploaded to YouTube, so far has only 10 views and no comments.
It shows a gang of skateboarders, wearing safety helmets but little other protective equipment, as they speed down tree-lined a mountain road. With their heads tucked for aerodynamic efficiency, they hurtle down the highway, on a clear, sunny day.
Despite the high velocity, all seem to be keeping steady balance, picking up speed as they race down the hill's steady decline. That is until, seemingly from nowhere, a deer comes sprinting alongside and barges straight into one unlucky skateboarder.

There's only one way this can end... The galloping deer barges straight into the hapless daredevil

Although he does his best to avoid the creature, then brace for the impact, he is sent tumbling off the road generating a cloud of dust.
According to the video's uploader, the animal was okay after the smash. 'The deer fled away after the accident and I am sure he wasn't hurt,' the uploader writes.
There was no information on the condition of the rider.

Smackdown: The boarder tastes the dirt on the side of the long winding mountain road



source: dailymail

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Who's that sitting on my sofa? Black bear takes a break from stealing picnic baskets and entertaining tourists

By ALEX WARD

Sitting back: This black bear assumed a strikingly human-like sitting position on this sofa in a rubbish dump in Manitoba, Canada

A bear’s life must be a tough one, stealing picnic baskets and entertaining tourists.
So what better way to sit back and relax bear-style than reclining on the sofa.
This black bear found a cosy spot, assuming a strikingly human-like sitting position at this rubbish dump in Manitoba, Canada.
Maybe it was the garbage that attracted the bear to the dump in search of food, but clearly he did not mind much about the view when it came time to put his feet up.
Manitoba has a healthy bear population with an estimated 160,000 living in the wild.

For food: The bear may have been attracted to the dump in search of food, but once he found the couch, relaxing seemed a much better idea

source: dailymail

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The caveman cartoons: How prehistoric artists make their paintings MOVE

By DAMIEN GAYLE

Clever: Ancient artists at France's Chauvet Cave superimposed drawings of two bison to create an eight-legged beast intended to depict trotting or running, two researchers say

Prehistoric cave artists used cartoon-like techniques to give the impression that their images were moving across cave walls, two French researchers have suggested.
A new study of cave art across France - in which animals appear to have multiple limbs, heads and tails - has found that the paintings are actually primitive attempts at animation.
When the images are viewed under the unsteady light of flickering flames the images can appear to move as the animals they represent do, the research claims.

Caveman animation: This sequence of grabs shows how the cave paintings apparently show movement by superimposing different sets of legs

It is also believed that prehistoric relics previously thought to have been used as buttons were actually designed as thaumatropes - double sided pictures that can be spun to blur the images into an animation.
The startling findings are reported by archaeologist Marc Azéma of the University of Toulouse-Le Mirail and artist Florent Rivère in the June issue of Antiquity.
They make the incredible claim that prehistoric man foreshadowed the invention of cinema by creating art with a rudimentary understanding of the principle of persistence of vision.

Mr Azéma, after 20 years researching Stone Age animation techniques, has identified 53 paintings in 12 French caves which superimpose two or more images to apparently represent movement.
They show animals trotting, galloping, tossing their heads or shaking their tails.
'Lascaux (a complex of caves in south-west France] is the cave with the greatest number of cases of split-action movement by superimposition of successive images,' Mr Azéma was quoted by Discovery as saying.

The hunt: Another painting in the Chauvet cave. Seen lit by flickering torchlight, the images appear to move thanks to the optical phenomenon known as the persistence of vision, the researchers claim

'Some 20 animals, principally horses, have the head, legs or tail multiplied.' When these paintings are viewed by flickering torchlight the animated effect 'achieves its full imact', he added.
Mr Azéma and Mr Rivère claim their remarkable theory is backed up by the discovery that ancient engraved discs were used as thaumatropes - formerly claimed to have been invented in 1825 by astronomer John Hershel.

Caveman animation: This sequence of grabs shows how the cave paintings apparently show movement by superimposing different sets of legs
A popular toy in Victorian times, thaumatropes (literally meaning 'miracle wheels') were discs or cards with a picture in each side attached to a piece of string.
When the string was twirled quickly between the fingers the two pictures appear to combine into a single animated image.
Mr Rivère believes that Palaeolithic artists created similar optical toys well before their apparent invention in the 19th century.
He examined pierced bone discs found in the area around the Pyrenees, which have previously been interpreted as buttons or pendants.
The researchers discovered that if a string was threaded through the central hole of some of these discs and stretched tight to make it spin, the result was a single persistent image of movement

source: dailymail

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Talk about having eyes in the back of your head! Insect with unusual marking showing it smiling from behind found in France

By LEON WATSON

Eyes in the back of its head: On closer inspection, it becomes clear that this insect's bright eyes and enormous smile are actually just markings on the back of his head

This insect keeps a beady eye on his food wherever he goes - with a smiling face on the back of his head.
At first glance, it looks as though the friendly insect is grinning straight into the lens.
But on closer inspection, it becomes clear that his bright eyes and enormous smile are actually just markings on the back of his head.

It looks as though the friendly insect is grinning straight into the lens

Photographer Bertrand Kulik was thrilled when he spotted the unusual marking on one praying mantis, as he took shots in his hometown of Issy l'Evjque, in the Burgundy region of France.
Mr Kulik said: 'Praying Mantis actually have excellent vision, and have two big green eyes.
'But when I spotted this one, I noticed his unusual eyes straight away. Then I realised that I wasn't looking at his face at all.

Big smile: Photographer Bertrand Kulik was thrilled when he spotted the unusual marking on the praying mantis

Mr Kulik took the shots in his hometown of Issy l'Evjque, in the Burgundy region of France

Mr Kulik said: 'Praying Mantis actually have excellent vision, and have two big green eyes.'

'It takes a long time to catch a good macro photography because you can't make any movement at all.
'I have to try not to breathe when I take photos, the focus has to be so precise. You have to ben very zen!
'To take these pictures, I was very close, just a matter of centimetres away from the mantis.
'It's very intimidating to be in front of a mantis who is looking at you so intensely.You can really feel that the mantis observes you and notice your presence.
'I love macro photography because often there is kind of privacy with the subject.
'Time is different. Often I have to wait a long time before catching this precious even a brief moment.
'I can be very patient and can wait a long time before seeing the good moment, often in a very uncomfortable position which can hurt your back.
'But it's so exciting when you finally capture that perfect image, it's all worth it.'

source: dailymail

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