Family's border collie leaps into car and mauls baby, 7 months, who nearly loses a leg

By Fay Schlesinger

William Jaundrell: He almost lost his leg


A baby of seven months was mauled by his family's pet sheepdog after it jumped through an open car window and on to his booster seat.

William Jaundrell's leg was almost torn off when border collie Bill attacked him on the driveway of his grandparents' farm.

His mother Patricia had left her son in the Vauxhall Vectra estate for a matter of minutes while she popped into the house when the dog jumped in.

His parents rushed out after hearing William's screams and the six-year-old dog was wrestled off the baby.

The infant was airlifted to hospital, where surgeons considered amputating his leg before carrying out emergency surgery to save it.

The 'freak' attack happened at the farm in Peplow, near Market Drayton, Shropshire, shortly after 4pm on Thursday. Last night the baby's father Chris, an electrician, recalled the horrific incident, and praised surgeons for their efforts.

He said: 'It was nasty and horrible. He was covered in bites. The surgeons have done wonders on his leg so fingers crossed he's going to be OK. It's really a miracle.'


Scene of the attack: Seven-month-old William and his parents were visiting his grandparents when the dog jumped into a car and savaged him


William's great-grandfather Thomas Berry, 84, added: 'The dog went mad. It has made a right mess of the little boy's leg. He was screaming in pain.


'Usually very friendly': The dog had a 'moment of madness', the child's grandfather Thomas Berry said (file picture)


'Bill has spent plenty of time with the child so they were both used to each other.

William used to totter around in his walker while Bill played with him.

'The dog's usually so good. He must have just had a moment of madness. We think he might have been jealous of the baby.'

Family described how the dog 'bounced the child up and down' and all but severed one leg at the shin.

Last night William remained at Birmingham Children's Hospital with his family by his side.

The dog was put down shortly after the attack, but police were not told until the vet alerted them the next day.

An investigation has begun but it is too early to say whether charges will be brought, West Mercia Police said.

Guy Richardson, an expert witness for Dangerous Dogs Act prosecutions, said such an incident was rare but added: 'Some border collies have got a predatory instinct which means you have got to be careful with them.'

source: dailymail

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Baby deer born seconds AFTER her mother was killed by car miraculously survives

By Mail Online Reporter

Miracle survival: Bambi the deer was born after her mother was knocked down and killed by a car


A baby roe deer, born after her mother was hit and killed by a car, is being hand-reared in a Cheshire RSPCA centre.

An inspector was called to a pregnant deer hit by a car near Turton, Bolton at around 1.00am on Sunday 23 May 2010. The collision killed the adult almost instantly but ruptured her abdomen and two kids spilled out. Miraculously, one was still alive.

RSPCA chiefs initially rated the tiny newborn's prospects as bleak. But now, four weeks on, they have described Bambi's survival as unbelievable and told how she is getting stronger by the day.

RSPCA inspector Ben Strangwood said: 'It's usually very bad news when a deer is hit by a car. In the vast majority of cases they have to be put to sleep to end their suffering - that's what makes this all the more amazing.'

'I've never seen anything like it before. The fact this kid survived what happened to her mother is unbelievable. Obviously, everyone has their fingers crossed for a happy ending.'

The orphaned fawn is being hand-reared by veterinary nurse Sarah Goodwin at RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre, near Nantwich, Cheshire. They have built up a special bond and she is the only human allowed to come into contact with the fawn to give it the best chance of being released into the wild.


A real life bambi, the roe deer whose mother was killed in a car accident


For the past four weeks, Sarah has fed her day and night. Initially, the deer was bottle-fed but is now drinking a milk substitute from a bowl. Sarah said: 'We really weren't sure how she'd get on, having had none of the benefits of her mother's milk, but things are going well and she's getting stronger every day.'

'We're not out of the woods yet: hand-rearing a wild animal is a difficult task and anything could go wrong, but as more time goes by you naturally become more hopeful.' The deer is expected to stay at Stapeley for another few weeks and will then be transferred to another centre.

It is hoped that it will be released into the wild when it is strong enough to survive.

Last year the RSPCA received more than 3,000 calls about deer involved in road accidents. To donate to the RSPCA for Bambi, contact 0300 1230346 or rspca.org.uk/donate/ online


source: dailymail

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Diabetic girl, 6, has life saved four times a WEEK by dog which knows when she needs insulin

By Daily Mail Reporter

Rebecca Farrar with her hypo alert dog Shirley, who can tell when the six-year-old diabetic is in danger of a hypoglaemic attack using her sense of smell


Like most children, Rebecca Farrar adores her family's dog - but the six-year-old diabetic has a particularly special reason.

Her young pet Shirley is one of the country's only 'hypo-alert' hounds who SMELLS when Rebecca's blood sugar reaches dangerously low levels.

The youngster says her life is 'saved' by the Labrador-golden retriever cross four times a week as she provides early of potential diabetic attacks.

The three-year-old dog can detect a change in scent when Rebecca's blood sugar levels drop dangerously low or high and licks her owner's hand to alert her.

Shirley will even drag a sugar-level testing kit to the youngster's side to prevent her from slipping into a coma and sleeps faithfully by her side every night.

She is one of only eight registered 'hypo-alert' dogs in Britain which have the unique ability to sniff out a hypoglycaemic attack.

The attacks can cause sufferers to fall into a coma or even die if their symptoms are not dealt with promptly.

Rebecca, from Harpole, Northamptonshire, was diagnosed with type one diabetes two years ago and is unable to feel any change in her sugar levels.

Every day she must inject herself four times with insulin and carry out up to seven sugar-level tests to avoid herself collapsing.

Before the arrival of Shirley, the schoolgirl had to constantly check her sugar levels and was taken to hospital up to four times a week.

But now thanks to the devoted dog, Rebecca and her family, mum Claire, 39, and twin-brother Joseph, have been spared the fear of her potentially being killed by the disease.


Rebecca's mother Claire said having special dog Shirley took a weight off her mind


Rebecca, who is a keen swimmer, said she was 'so happy' to have Shirley in her life.
She said: 'Shirley is so special to me, we are the best of friends. I can't imagine living without her now. She has saved my life so many times.'

Single mother Claire had to give up her job as a shop assistant to look after Rebecca when her diabetes struck and said Shirley takes a 'weight off' her mind.

She said: 'Rebecca's condition is seriously life threatening, before we had Shirley I was terrified of sleeping in case she fell into a coma without anyone knowing.

'Shirley is absolutely brilliant with Rebecca and really looks after her - they are like soul-mates and are so close.

'It's incredible that a dog can do so much and we are so grateful to have her. She has completely changed our lives.'

Claire saw an advertisement for Cancer and Bio Detection Dogs and applied for Rebecca to be put onto a waiting list for a hypo-dog.

After a 12 month wait Shirley arrived eight weeks ago and has been inseparable with Rebecca ever since.

As a registered 'hypo alert dog', Shirley now has the same rights as a guide dog.
For more information visit the website www.hypoalertdogs.co.uk


source: dailymail

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Come on in the water's lovely: Basking shark surprises British tourists by venturing to within a few feet of the shore

By Daily Mail Reporter

Sea monster: Lucky holidaymakers get up close and personal with a basking shark next to edge of cliffs near Porthcurno in Cornwall.


Gliding gracefully through the shallows just yards offshore this giant of the deep had watchers stunned as it cruised past a British resort.

The normally elusive 12ft-long basking shark dwarfed onlookers at Porthcurno in Cornwall.

The warm weather has been bringing an increasing number of the large sea creatures to British shores and the clear Cornish waters meant a lucky few have had unprecedented views of the placid leviathans.

Reaching lengths of up to 36ft, basking sharks are the largest fish in British waters.

One of only three plankton-feeding shark species, these harmless giants reappear in our coastal waters each summer.

Their presence is often marked by their large dorsal fin, though watchers are often lucky enough to see baskers breach - jumping clear of the water.


Lunch time: The warm weather has been bringing an increasing number of the large sea creatures to our shores, and the clear Cornish waters means that the majestic animals can be seen as they feed just below the surface.


The basking shark is the second largest of shark species, second only to the also 'vegetarian' whale shark.

The basking shark is so-called because it is most often observed when feeding at the surface, appearing to be basking in the warmer water.

It doesn't suck up its food by pumping water through its gills - as the whale shark or the wonderfully named megamouth shark. Instead, it relies only on water being pushed through its gills by swimming




The basking shark - cetorhinus maximus - is the second largest fish in the world after the whale shark.

They can reach up to 36ft and weigh up to seven tons. They are the largest wild animal to regularly visit Britain.

Despite their bulk they can leap clear of the water, but they get their name because they bask on the surface.

They filter the equivalent of an Olympic swimming pool every hour to take in enough plankton.

They are a protected species in Britain, but are killed in large numbers elsewhere for their liver oil, meat and cartilage.

In Asia they are used to make shark-fin soup. A single large fin can be worth £5,000.

They swim, at no more than 5mph, by moving their entire bodies from side to side, not just their tails like other sharks.


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A fish supper fit for a king: Enchanting images from inside a kingfishers' nest show how mum AND dad deal with dinner time

By Claire Cohen

Taking the plunge: The kingfisher spots a fish below the surface and takes a premise aim, left, before entering the water like a dart by tucking in its wings to snap up its catch


In the modern world, mothers and fathers are expected to share the childcare duties - and that includes feeding the kids. Now, remarkable and rare new images have emerged which prove that kingfishers do just the same.

These pictures show hungry eight-day-old kingfisher chicks jostling with each other for scraps of food from their parents. It's an intimate moment - captured thanks to a camera hidden deep in the nest in which the family have set up home.

The enchanting pictures were the brainchild of photographer and lifelong kingfisher enthusiast Charlie Hamilton James, who has spent his career photographing the breathtaking birds. But he had long dreamed of capturing them nesting and feeding.

Months of planning were needed after Hamilton James decided to set up an artificial nest (complete with secret lens) in a muddy riverbank, with the hope of attracting a mating pair.

Not only did it work to dramatic effect, it also got around the problem that photographing kingfishers in their own nest is illegal without a licence from Natural England.

Numbers of the birds have stalled in Britain thanks to pollution in our rivers, and if disturbed while nesting they can abandon their young.


Hungry brood: In the cosy confines of a riverbank nest, this dedicated female kingfisher feeds her eight-day-old chicks, one at a time, with fish such as minnows and sticklebacks


Second helpings: Mum and Dad take it in turns to find fish for their chicks. Here the male brings his catch back to the nest


In the first two images, Hamilton James captured a kingfisher arrowing at up to 60mph into a river in south Gloucestershire before grabbing a small fish in its beak.

The cameras inside the nest then recorded a male and female sharing the domestic duties, which include building the nest, incubating the chicks for 20 days, and then feeding them.

The chicks are fed in rotation to ensure no one goes hungry, and they can each eat 12 to 18 fish a day. After a month, they leave the nest to explore the outside world - learning to feed themselves, and ultimately to fly in search of their own mate.


Time for bed: All that eating is tiring work. Their appetites satisfied, the kingfisher chicks are ready for a rest. One even appears to be yawning in its mum's direction


Feather bed: The chicks settle down to sleep under their father's warm plumage. It's a welcome rest from catching fish for him, too... until tomorrow


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Badger family makes nightly visit to hotel... to feast on bowls of CORNFLAKES

By Daily Mail Reporter

Family favourite: The picky creatures have turned their noses up when offered other foods


A family of badgers is causing a sensation at a hotel where they turn up every night for a bowl of cornflakes.

The usually shy creatures appear in the grounds at 9pm without fail, to gorge on what has apparently become their favourite breakfast cereal.

It has been a regular occurrence at the five-star Enchanted Manor, near Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight, for the past four years.


Late breakfast: The badgers tuck in to their cornflakes at Isle of Wight hotel.


Now Kellogg's has pledged to supply the hotel with cornflakes for free so the friendly animals don't go hungry.


Maggie Hilton, who runs the Enchanted Manor with husband Ric, said: 'We started putting left-over scraps from breakfast out for the badgers.


'They would grab most of the food and immediately run away to eat it.

'But, strangely, they would stay to eat the cornflakes.

'They seemed calmer when they were eating the cereal and stayed around for much longer.

'They are really fussy and I have tried putting out other cereals but they turn their noses up at them.

'They are really tame and friendly.

'Our guests can't believe their eyes when they creep out of the woods every night and into our garden.'

A spokesman for Kellogg's said: "We are delighted that our cornflakes are bringing the guests at the hotel closer to nature by encouraging the badgers in to the garden.

'And we pledge to supply free cornflakes to the animals so they can continue to enjoy their favourite breakfast cereal.'

Badgers usually eat earthworms, insects, and grubs as well as small mammals and birds, roots annd fruit.


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Three-year-old boy bitten by fox at school playground party

By Daily Mail Reporter

The fox is believed to have been under this building within Dorothy Stringer School when it was approached by the child


A three-year old boy has been attacked by a fox in a school plaground.

The child was bitten on the arm during a party at Dorothy Stringer High School in Brighton, East Sussex, at midday on Saturday.

It is believed the child, who has not been named, saw and stroked the tail of an animal which was sticking out from under a temporary building when it turned on him.

Relatives took the boy to the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton where he was treated and released.

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: 'Police were called by South East Coast Ambulance Service at 12.30pm on Saturday 19 June after a report of a boy being bitten by a fox.

'Police called the RSPCA and an inspector attended.'


Trevor Weeks, founder of the charity East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service, called for a proportionate response to the attack


He said: 'It has been known for years by the educational authorities that foxes live under such makeshift buildings at schools, so it should come as no surprise that there was a fox present.

'The fox did not attack the child - it was defending itself. There is a significant difference.

'Any wild animal is going to turn round and bite if you grab its tail.'

He added: 'Foxes are actually beneficial in residential areas as they help keep the rat and mice population down. They carry no more diseases than a pet cat or dog.

'We do, however, warn against people regularly overfeeding wildlife as this can cause a natural imbalance in some localised areas and as a result neighbours call in pest control and then it's the foxes which suffer at the hands of human kindness.

'Foxes do not go round attacking each other, let alone people.'

The incident comes a fortnight after nine-month-old twins Isabella and Lola Koupparis were attacked after a fox crept into their upstairs bedroom in Hackney, east London.


The twins savaged by a fox as they lay in their cots smiled for the cameras yesterday in their first family picture since the attack. Nine-month-olds Isabella and Lola Koupparis - with arms heavily bandaged and facial scars visible 15 days after the incident - were with parents Nick and Pauline and brother Max


It is thought to have got in through a door on the ground floor of the smart three-storey house, which was left open because of the hot weather, while the children's parents watched Britain's Got Talent on television.

Both girls have since been discharged from hospital. The twins' four-year-old brother, Max, who was also sleeping upstairs, was not hurt in the attack.

An RSPCA spokesman said: 'Foxes are shy creatures and will usually avoid contact with people.

'We offer our sincere condolences to the child and family concerned and wish for a speedy recovery.

'If people have issues with foxes they should contact their local authority or a licensed pest controller.

'To discourage foxes, they should also ensure any rubbish and household waste left out is secure and not open for scavenging.

'There is also further information on our website about how to deter foxes from a particular area.'


source: dailymail

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My little ugly pony: Maddison, six, in bid to raise £4,000 for operation on disfigured foal

By Mailonline Reporter

Best friend: Maddison Biddlecombe didn't want Diego to be put down just because he has a disfigured face


A six-year-old girl is hoping to raise thousands of pounds for an operation on her beloved foal after he was born with a rare condition which left his face disfigured.

Little Maddison Biddlecombe fell in love with Diego despite his peculiar appearance and begged her family not to have him put down.

Despite being advised by other horse owners to have Diego put to sleep, Maddison's mother, 33-year-old Janey Biddlecombe, refused.

She is now hoping to raise money for an operation by an equine dentist which is set to cost £4,000.

Diego was born on May 12 with Wry Nose Syndrome which caused him to have a bent nose and undershot jaw.

Despite initial difficulties he has learnt to suckle from his mother and is happy, healthy and growing well.

Maddison, said: 'Diego is my best friend and I don't care what he looks like, to me his face makes him special.


Growing well: Diego has learned to suckle from his mother despite being born with Wry Nose Syndrome which caused him to have a bent nose and undershot jaw


'He's so lovely. We have a lot of fun playing games and he likes to chase me around the field.

'I love him lots and he gives me kisses and cuddles.

'People shouldn't say he should be put down because of what he looks like, it doesn't matter to me.

'My friends really like him too and we have so much fun feeding him. He's the best horse ever.'

Mrs Biddlecombe, who keeps her horses in Southampton, Hants, sought advice online from others on the New Forest Equine Directory forum and was shocked by some responses.

She said: 'I asked for help and advice but some people have been unkind and told me to put him to sleep.

'Maybe it's an easy way out but not for me. I don't agree with putting him to sleep just because he looks different.

'It was a struggle the day after he was born but he's come on leaps and bounds and is doing fantastically.

'Maddison adores Diego and has formed a great bond with him. They have even been found cuddled up together asleep in the field in the sun. He certainly knows he's loved.

'He's a fighter and I am willing to do everything and anything for him - whatever it takes to make sure he has a happy, normal life.

'When he's bombing around the field he's so happy and there's no way I could put him down - not unless he's suffering, but not just because he looks different.'

Mrs Biddlecombe, of Poole, Dorset, said her mother had been a great help as Diego is kept in her field.

She said the RSPCA were happy with Diego but accepted that the colt could have problems when he starts grazing.

She said she hoped any difficulties could be cured by surgery and the family would be devastated if they had to have him put down.

Mrs Biddlecombe added: 'We would be heartbroken but we will do all we can for him and let him know he was loved and cuddled and kissed.'

Wry Nose Syndrome causes the upper and lower jaw of a horse to grow to one side.

source: dailymail

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Woburn Safari Park slammed for locking up its lions in cramped pens for up to 18 hours

By Daily Mail Reporter

Poor housing: Lions at Woburn Safari Park look at the breeze-block enclosures that a Defra report says they spend 'unreasonable lengths of time' locked inside


Woburn Safari Park has been criticised for locking its animals up in cramped, inadequate and unsafe pens - leading one expert to say that it is 'probably the most shocking evidence I have seen in a UK zoo'.

An investigation by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs found that the park, which trades on the fact that its animals are free to roam around the grounds, packs up to three lions in a ten-foot-square concrete pen for as long as 18 hours a day.

The breeze-block pens are described in the Defra investigation as 'inadequate in size provision' and 'structurally unsound and unsafe'.

Woburn attracts almost 500,000 visitors each year. The park admits that its current enclosures are inadequate and that larger, more modern pens are being built.

But they will not be ready until as late as next year, and the Defra investigation has highlighted the unacceptable conditions the animals have been forced to endure.

It said lions were housed in ' very crowded' pens with 'no provision for individual feeding or sleeping areas' for 'unreasonable lengths of time'.

When not on public display, the park's 16 lions were herded into the pens, padlocked inside and not brought out until the next public display. In winter, when the park was was opened for only a few hours a day, this could mean the animals were locked up for as long as 18 hours.

The Defra report said sea lions were kept in chlorinated water that affected their eyesight and caused pain. One keeper had written in an internal Woburn report: 'I am ashamed to be part of the team that keeps them under these conditions and wonder if we would be in breech of the Welfare Act.'


Irritated eyes: An internal Woburn report in 2009 said chlorinated water in pools for sea lions were causing the animals eye problems and pain


Keeper Katie Rice, the park's deputy team leader, concluded in her 2009 report that the sea lions' quality of life had been 'significantly compromised'.

The Defra report said that the park's elephant had recently escaped from its enclosure - prompting Central Bedfordshire Council to issue a prohibition notice, warning that there was a 'real and present threat' of the animal escaping again.

This had the potential of causing injury to not only the elephant but visitors and staff, the council said.

Defra's investigation came after an informant alerted the council to conditions at Woburn earlier this year.

Animal welfare expert Craig Redmond, of the Animals' Protection society, asked why previous investigations had not brought attention to the animals' plight, and called for a full inquiry.

He told the Sunday TImes: 'This is probably the most shocking evidence I have ever seen in a UK zoo.

'People say to me, "Surely safari parks are different than zoos", but this now raises questions over how safari parks really operate.'

Mike Potter, the chief executive of Woburn Enterprises, said the park had acted immediately on the recommendations of the keeper's 2009 report, and that new enclosures were being build for the parks' big cats.

He said the new tiger house would be ready by next spring, and the lion house was near completion.

He denied that the public had been misled as to the treatment of animals at the park, saying: 'Woburn's animal houses are clearly evident in the visitors' journey.'


source: dailymail

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The BMW that really did purr along until the owner discovered a kitten in the engine

By Daily Mail Reporter

The bewildered kitten (looking a touch apprehensively at the engine) was found deep within this BMW belonging to Paul Smith, left, by mechanic Morgan Lee. Paul took his car to a workshop after kept hearing a meowing noise every time he turned off the engine


When a bemused car dealer heard his BMW engine purring, he lifted the bonnet to find a kitten inside.

Paul Smith had been cruising to work at 70mph but when he pulled up at the dealership he heard a strange meowing sound coming from the front of his high-performance car.

He lifted the bonnet of his five series BMW and could see nothing inside but when he restarted the engine the meows began again.


Phew, glad to be out of there: The kitten, named Cooper after the workshop where it was found, relaxes after its ordeal


Confused Mr Smith took the car to the workshop at Cooper BMW in Colchester, Essex, and a mechanic began taking the front apart in a bid to find the source of the noise.

But they were stunned when they spotted the female kitty cowering behind the strengthening support bar, deep inside the car.

Mr Smith, 39, said: "I think she must have got under the car and climbed in through the engine covers.

"I normally get home at about 7pm and the engine stays warm for quite a while so she probably thought it would be a cosy place to sleep.

"My drive to work is about eight miles and includes a stretch on the A12.

"I couldn't hear the meowing when I was driving along, so I didn't realise anything was wrong until I got to work."

Staff at the workshop scooped the kitten out and fed her milk from the tiny sachets in their coffee machine.

They have named her Cooper after the dealership.

Mr Smith, from Layer-de-la-Haye, Essex, said: "We are hoping to trace the owner, but the girls here are pretty attached to it.

"If no-one comes forward, we will have plenty of takers."


source: dailymail

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