Is Teddy the giant tom cat REALLY the mystery lion of Essex? Owner says he's the only 'big gingery thing around there'

By DAVID WILKES, INDERDEEP BAINS and TOM KELLY

Lion or tabby cat: Images similar to this one were handed to Essex police, sparking the large-scale search involving helicopters last night

Prowling through the fields the fearsome feline patrols his hunting ground, pausing only occasionally to preen his luxuriant ginger mane.
His confident strut attracts the attention of onlookers, but after teasing them with a glimpse the elusive creature is gone. To where? No one can be sure.
In this case, however, the answer was probably nothing more wild than home for his dinner.

Lion-like: Teddy Bear the Maine Coon cat may be the 'Essex Lion', or so his owner believes

For this is Teddy Bear, the domestic cat who was last night at the centre of speculation that he had inadvertently triggered Britain’s biggest safari hunt in living memory by being mistaken for a lion.
The three-year-old pet – a Maine Coon which can weigh up to 25lb, be up to 16in tall and 40in long – lives just a few hundred yards from where holidaymakers spotted a big cat at a caravan park near Clacton in Essex on Sunday.

Ready to shoot: An armed police officer patrols near the caravan site in Clacton-on-Sea last night

Following reports of a wild animal on the loose, armed officers and two police helicopters using heat-seeking equipment, which cost £880 an hour to run, were scrambled.
Workers from nearby Colchester Zoo carrying tranquilliser guns scoured the fields and residents were warned to stay indoors. Caravanners were temporarily moved to a nearby garden centre.

Beware: Village green at St Osyth (pictured) near to where the beast was believed to have been spotted. Police have now called off the search of the area

But while the local community was plunged into terror, Teddy Bear’s owner Ginny Murphy watched the drama unfold on television from Liverpool, where she was away. And she immediately had her suspicions.
‘It clicked right away,’ she said. ‘We thought it had to be Ted as he’s the only big gingery thing around there and he does tend to wander into that field.’

People passing this photo of a lion around social networking site Twitter thought this was the lion that sparked the hunt. Police have confirmed it is a fake

After looking at the pictures of the supposed lion Mrs Murphy said she had no doubt it was Ted.
‘There’s no question about, it’s him. As we were away he probably went into the field to sulk.
‘From a distance, because he has a light-coloured mane he does look a little lion like. I can see why someone would think that.
‘He’s a Maine Coon, which is the biggest breed of domestic cat. And he’s got the personality to match, he has such a bad attitude and puts the dog in his place all the time.

source: dailymail

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Green Heron captured using bread as FISHING BAIT in astonishing show of deferred gratification

By NINA GOLGOWSKI

Sneaky skill: A Green Heron captured on camera has displayed its own ability to bait and catch fish using bread

Move over Kanzi; there's a new tool-wielding creature catching more than just attention.
Just days after Kanzi the bonobo chimp stunned researchers around the world by creating his own tools similar to man to access food, a Green Heron has shown its own ability to bait and catch fish.
Carrying a piece of bread to the water's edge, the tiny heron is captured on camera repeatedly dropping the bait onto the surface, carefully, to attract the surrounding fish.

Careful placement: The heron is seen carefully placing the bread before the water's shoreline

Waiting game: After dropping the bread into the water, the heron watches carefully without moving

After several nips from below and the bread's frequent removal and replacement, the bird lunges forward, returning with a large fish between its beak.
As io9 notes, the bird appears to display a logical thought process of choosing not to satisfy itself with immediate gratification with the bread’s consumption but to delay satisfaction for the potential capture of a fish instead.

Nips: After several bites along the water's surface, the heron nears its pounce

According to a 1986 report out of the University of Tokyo, however, bait-fishing by the Green Heron is nothing new though extremely unique.
It is a skill that's only performed by a select few species of birds, while only by a select few of Green Herons depending on the birds' location.

Snatched! Pinching the wriggling fish between its beak, the heron is seen having successfully swapped out its bread for a much more hearty meal in the fish

As their study of Green-backed Herons in southern Japan concludes:
'Bait fishing was used most frequently by the individual which fished often in open water with fewer suitable rocks, where the heron has to overcome the handicap of being easily seen by fish.'
Most Green Herons are said to use feathers, small sticks or berries as their bait.

Mission accomplished: The heron maneuvers the live fish in its mouth before swallowing it whole as one of only several species of birds who use bait fishing


Others: World-famous bonobo chimp Kanzi, pictured using a stick to roast a marshmallow, recently stunned researchers by creating his own tools as a means to extract food from a container

Whether the bread was directly supplied to the heron by a human – presumably for the bird’s own consumption - or how else it was obtained is not supplied with the video’s upload.
One YouTube viewer and fan of the video notes: 'Next time we'll see giant eagles baiting humans with $100 bills.'



source: dailymail

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It's a sabre-tooth SQUIRREL! Rodent faces daily chore to eat because of bizarre curly tooth

By SARA MALM

Food challenge: The squirrel struggles to nibble at the awkwardly shaped corn cob due to her tooth growing out of her mouth

A big cob of corn would be a challenge for any squirrel – but this little creature’s sabre tooth is making it even harder.
These are the adorable pictures of the squirrel struggling to eat its inner in a garden in Missouri.
To overcome the issue she had to paw the food in rather than biting away.
The cute squirrel was snapped by amateur photographer Bill Tiepelman who noticed her after she started making regular visits to his garden.
The clever creature will not let her tooth get between her and her food and uses her paws to prevent the food Bill leaves out for her from falling out of her mouth.

Clever girl: The little squirrel has adapted to her dental issue and uses her paws to hold her food in her mouth

Web developer Mr Tiepelman said he first noticed the squirrel because she moves much slower than her friends.
He has been photographing her for months and says he has noticed that the tooth gets in her way.
‘The tooth is so big that she even has trouble climbing trees - she has to take very slow, deliberate movements so she doesn't poke herself in the eye with it.

Careful climber: The squirrel has to move slower than her friends so she doesn't hurt herself with her big tooth

‘It's very weird to watch - I leave food out for the squirrels to eat, and I've seen her holding the food in one side of her mouth.
'Her struggle is inspiring too - as even with the deficit, the squirrel has learned to manage with it and overcome!’

Sabre-ing fact: Wonky teeth growing outside of the mouth is not uncommon in squirrels

source: dailymail

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Who are you calling two-faced? Meet Venus the famous chimera cat who's winning fans world-wide with her striking appearance

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Who you calling two-faced? Venus - with her face perfectly divided into two colours and with her different coloured eyes - is the internet star of the moment

When there seems to be a new cute kitten gaining YouTube fame each week, it’s tough to stand out from the cat crowd.
But that’s certainly not a problem for Venus – the ‘two-faced’ cat who is the internet star du jour.
The feline’s face is perfectly divided in two – one half is jet black while the other is calico. And, as if this wasn’t enough, her eyes are different colours too – one is ice blue, the other is green.
Venus is known as a chimera cat because of her genetic composition and her different eye colours are caused by heterochromia.

Seriously sweet: Venus has attracted world-wide fame thanks to her striking appearance

Janus, the Roman god with two faces, would have perhaps been a more obvious deity to name the three-year-old cat after, even if she is a female.
Venus has several YouTube videos which have been seen about 154,000 times with thousands clicking the 'like' button.
Unsurprisingly, Venus now has her own Facebook page too where she has attracted more than 22,000 fans.

Two-face: Venus has been unfavourably compared to Harvey Dent a.k.a Two-Face, Batman's nemesis

However, Venus is learning that world-wide fame has its downsides too as she has been unfavourably likened to Harvey Dent, Batman’s nemesis Two-Face.
Venus’ proud owner describes her lovingly as a ‘gentle’ and ‘perfect’ pet with a deceptively big appetite.
‘As tiny as she is she likes to pick the giant pieces of food from the dog food bowl rather than eat her cat food,’ the owner writes on Venus’ Facebook page.



source: dailymail

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The real life Mowgli: Schoolboy, eight, forms special relationship with colony of alpine marmots

By RACHEL MCDERMOTT

Special bond: Matteo Walch has struck up an unlikely friendship with a group of marmots in the Austrian Alps

They are notoriously shy around humans, beating their tails and chattering their teeth to try to warn us off before emitting loud whistles to tell other members of their colony to flee.
But when these alpine marmots see Matteo Walch, they scuttle to his side and show him nothing but affection.
The eight-year-old built up a remarkable relationship with the creatures since first being taken to see them by his nature-loving family four years ago.

Furry friends; The schoolboy from Innsbruck first met the clan of marmots four years ago on a family holiday and has returned every year since

The family return to visit the colony in Groslocker in the Austrian Alps for two weeks every year.
Matteo’s father Michaela, said: 'Their friendship has lasted for more than four years now.
'He loves those animals and they are not at all afraid of Matteo because he has a feeling towards them and they understand that.
‘We go there every year now for two weeks - it’s amazing to watch the connection between a boy and his animal friends.’
Marmots stand at around 18cm tall and reach up to 50cm in length.
Bizarrely, the animals are heavier in the autumn, when they can weigh up to 8kg, in comparison to 3kg in the spring months.

Unlikely pair: The normally shy marmots show Matteo nothing but affection when he visits them at Hohe Tauern National Park in Austria

Michaela, a schoolteacher from Innsbruck, Austria, has uniquely captured the unique bond between Matteo and his marmot friends throughout the past four years.
He said: 'I could spend hours watching animals - it gives me a connection with nature and its life forms.
'It’s great that I have been able to document the marmot’s natural behaviour around Matteo without making them afraid of me and my equipment.
'I wanted to capture the animals exactly the way I see them - the way they behave among each other, in harmony with their surroundings.'

A member of the clan: The marmots gather around Matteo when he arrives and lets him feed them and play with them despite normally running away from humans

Matteo and his family spend two weeks every year in the Alps visiting his marmot friends

Nose to nose: A marmot greets eight-year-old Matteo on the slopes of the Austrian Alps

It is clear from the pictures that Matteo and the marmots are totally comfortable in each other’s company.
Michaela, 46, said: 'The picture of a curious animal approaching me is a thousand times more beautiful than the picture of any animal looking at me in fear before it takes flight.
'This is how I try to picture the proudest, more beautiful and also the funniest moments, giving others the opportunity to enjoy the miraculous world of animals.’


Jealous: One marmot is so keen to get his attention that it has climbed up into Matteo's lap for a cuddle

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Woman slashed her Springer Spaniel's head, nose and body 31 times... and then called the police to blame it on an intruder

By ALEX WARD

Dog slasher: Kim Edmonds was found guilty of slashing her two Springer Spaniels. Dogs Stig was found with 31 lacerations and burns while Dan (pictured) had lesser injuries in the horrific attack

A woman is facing a jail sentence for slashing her dog’s head, nose and body 31 times before cutting herself and telling police it was an intruder.
Kim Edmonds, 21, carried out the cruel attack on her springer spaniel Stig which left him mutilated with lacerations and burns in what a RSPCA inspector called the ‘worst attack’ she had ever seen.
The unemployed woman from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the dog on Friday and, pending a psychiatric report, the judge did not rule out a maximum sentence of six months in jail.

Shocking scene: Police said Edmonds' house looked like 'an abattoir' with blood everywhere. Her two dogs (pictured) were badly injured while she presented self-inflicted cuts, claiming an intruder had attacked her and the dogs

The court heard that Edmonds, who had been taking medication for depression, had slashed the 14-year-old dog and her other dog Dan to a lesser extent, in her back garden in September last year.
She made an emergency call to Staffordshire Police, claiming a balaclava-wearing intruder had broken into her backyard and attacked her and the dogs.
Police arrived to a shocking scene.

Shocking mutilation: The RSPCA deputy chief inspector Jayne Bashford said the injuries sustained by the dogs were 'totally horrendous'. Stig needed a four hour operation and a week's recovery in a vet clinic (pictured)

According to This is Staffordshire, detective constable Gary Madeley from Burslem Police Station said: ‘It was like an abattoir. There was blood all over the living room and the kitchen.
‘Edmonds' demeanour, considering the report and her dog had been mutilated, was calm.’
Veterinary surgeon Carole Bain, who also attended the scene said: ‘I was shocked by what I saw.

Held down dogs: The court heard that the attack done by Edmonds (pictured with husband Brian and injured dog Dan) would have been lengthy and it was suggested that the dogs were held down during the attack

‘I told her (Edmonds) Stig would need a lengthy operation and she asked if he would need a skin graft and demonstrated by pinching the skin on his head.
‘It was unusual as I have never known an owner show such calmness.’

source: dailymail

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Wombs with a view: Spectacular photos of mammal embryos that already look just like their mums

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

They may grow to be very different beasts, but these breathtaking images reveal how surprisingly similar the beginning of life can be for the animal kingdom.
Captured using revolutionary four-dimensional scanning technology, scientists have managed to shed light on the world of mammals inside the womb.
As diverse a bunch as they are - elephant, dog, dolphin and penguin are all shown united by their similar stages of development.

An Asian elephant foetus after 12 months in the womb, catching some shut eye before she takes her first heavy steps in the world in just under a year's time. The gestation period for an elephant is 22 months

Paw-sing for thought: With tiny paws poised an unborn puppy looks already set to pounce as he reaches his full gestation period of around nine weeks

Say cheese: A baby dolphin seems to be smiling for the camera as he prepares for his big splash

Using revolutionary four-dimensional scanning technology, scientists have captured the images for a National Geographic Documentary called 'Extraordinary Animals in the Womb'.
They were captured by using a combination of three-dimensional ultrasound scans, computer graphics and small cameras to document the animals’ development from conception to birth, and give an unparalleled glimpse into a world that few of us would ever expect to see.
The images were also used on a Channel 4 documentary 'Animals in the Womb'.
The documentary explores the marked similarities between very different animals.

Snug as a bug: A penguin curls up in it's mothers womb. The gestation period lasts about 63 days. The females then lay the egg and pass it on to the male penguin while they go off to feed.

source: dailymail

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Foal savaged by Staffordshire bull terrier makes incredible recovery to win national pony prize

By KERRY MCDERMOTT

Then: Foal Bertie was left for dead after being savaged by a dog at a farm in Lancashire

A foal that was left for dead after being savaged by a Staffordshire bull terrier has won a prize in a national riding contest following a miraculous recovery.
Neglected Bertie was just eight months old when he was attacked by his owner's dog in the field he lived on with his emaciated mother, Kiwi.
The young horse sustained serious wounds and developed blood poisoning after being mauled by the vicious dog, but his callous owner simply left the chestnut warmblood cross to suffer rather than calling a vet.

Now: Bertie and rider Daisy Shufflebottom, 21, won a rosette in a national riding competition, following the plucky horse's 'miraculous' four year journey back to health

By the time Bertie was rescued by animal welfare investigators his injuries were so serious a vet was on the brink of putting him down - but changed his mind at the last minute to avoid upsetting a child that was on the site.
Instead Bertie and his mother Kiwi - who was by then so thin her ribs were protruding dangerously - were taken to Shores Hey Farm rescue centre in Briercliffe, Lancashire, where they began a remarkable four-year journey back to health.
Now plucky Bertie has rewarded his new masters by winning a rosette at Equifest - a national competition for rescue horses.

Left for dead: Bertie was unable to stand and had developed blood poisoning by the time he was discovered by animal welfare investigators

Equine and data services manager Amanda Berry said staff from Shores Hey cried 'tears of joy' when Bertie took fourth place in the competition, ridden by 21-year-old rescue centre worker Daisy Shufflebottom.
'We're all so delighted with Bertie and how far he has come since the attack,' she said.
'He’s had to do such a lot in a short space of time to perform at Equifest with Daisy.

Emaciated: Bertie's mother Kiwi was severely undernourished when the horses were found by animal welfare officers - she too has been nursed back to health

'The atmosphere there was amazing and he wasn’t bothered by the flashing lights, noise and big crowd of people there. He just took it in his stride.
'When he did his performance in the daytime we knew that he had come in the top 10 but we didn’t know exactly where until later on.
'As they were counting down from 10 to one it was nail biting - and when his name was read out as fourth we went mad with excitement. There were many tears of joy.
'For a horse of his age and background that is such a massive achievement,' the 40-year-old added.

Reminder: Bertie is now the picture of health, but the horse's legs still bear the scars of the savage dog attack

Daisy Shufflebottom, 21, who rode Bertie in his successful outing at the four-day Equifest, hosted by the RSPCA in Peterborough, said: 'Bertie and I bonded straight away - he’s got a great temperament to work with.
'He can be quite cheeky occasionally but he’s great. I never expected to do as well as we did. It was a very big step for him.
'From where he was to where he is now is a dream come true.
'Bertie was one of the worst cases we ever had and now he’s doing amazingly well. He still has scars from the dog attack but he has recovered really well.'

'Miraculous recovery': Daisy Shufflebottom, pictured above on Bertie, took over the rescue horse's training in the spring


Picture of health: Bertie, pictured enjoying a ride with Daisy, has been described as a 'gentleman' by staff at the Shores Hey Farm rescue centre in Lancashire

source: dailymail

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Monster cut a hole in pet's paw and put a jar on his head to use him as blood bait for other dogs

By LEON WATSON

An animal rescue group in Texas thinks someone stuck a jar on Pappy's head to train other dogs to fight

If you think this dog has a sad look on it's face, you'll understand why when you hear what he's been through.
Animal charities believe Pappy the mixed Labrador was left as bait for other animals with a festering paw and a jar on his head so he couldn't fight back.
He was only saved when rescuers found him wandering the streets of Dallas, Texas, starving and covered with scars.
Residents in the Five Mile Creek area of the city had seen the dog near walking around for at least a week before a small group managed to snare him on Monday.

The jar was cut cleanly and precisely to fit over the dog's head, presumably so he couldn't fight back

'We've gotta get him to a vet!' Maeleska Fletes recalled telling another rescuer after loading Pappy into her land cruiser. 'I can smell the foot.'
On Wednesday, doctors at the Metro Paws clinic amputated part of the dog's paw. It could have been much worse.
'This was not a random act of cruelty,' said Nancy Pinkston, a vice president with Animal Allies of Texas told The Dallas Morning News.
'That's typically done to create a blood scent so the animal can be thrown into a fighting ring and used as a bait dog for training.'
The jar was cut cleanly and precisely to fit over the dog's head, presumably so he couldn't fight back.

source: dailymail

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The last days of Ol Boy: Heartbreaking video captures animal rescue group giving a dying stray dog his first moments of love as his life slips away

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Puppy: When his rescuers found him, Ol Boy was in a state of pain, but they cared for him in his final days, showing him a love he had never known

When his rescuers found him, Ol Boy was in a state of pain, but they cared for him in his final days, showing him a love he had never known.
Weak from years of living on the streets, Ol Boy was covered in ticks and lesions, unable to walk or feed himself.
Save Our Street Dogs, an animal rescue group in Singapore, took him home and showed him tenderness for the first time, letting him pass away knowing he was cherished during his short time on earth.

Hurt: Weak from years of living on the streets, Ol Boy was covered in ticks and lesions, unable to walk or feed himself

In the heartbreaking video the group posted on YouTube, they film Ol Boy in the state they found him.
Born on the streets, he survived on air conditioning water and leftovers given to him by the local shopkeepers.
Weak from years of neglect, he could not stand up and had been howling in pain for three days.

Kindness: Save Our Street Dogs, an animal rescue group in Singapore, took him home and showed him tenderness for the first time, letting him pass away knowing he was cherished during his short time on earth

The group wrapped him in newspapers and brought him to a vet for treatment.
They found hundreds of ticks had burrowed into his skin, eventually resulting in tick fever.
His teeth were warped and broken and he required an emergency blood infusion.

Weak: In the heartbreaking video the group posted on YouTube, they film Ol Boy in the state they found him

Treatment: His teeth were warped and broken and he required an emergency blood infusion

He had numerous infections and possibly cancer, but remained sweet and loving, even while his body wrenched in agony.
It was not long after that they realized that Ol Boy wasn't just sick, he was dying.
Rather than put him down, they took him home and let him rest in a warm, loving environment for the first time.
'We stayed by his side, patting him whenever he cried in discomfort,' the group said in their video.
'That was all he wanted.'
The other dogs in the home stayed vigil over him as well, nuzzling him when he needed comfort.
One night at 2 a.m., he suddenly sat up and drank water for the final time. He passed away peacefully at 4 a.m.

Wish: Rather than put him down, they took him home and let him rest in a loving environment for the first time

Love: The other dogs in the home stayed vigil over him as well, nuzzling him when he needed comfort

His caretakers covered him in rose petals, wrapped his paws around a single sunflower and said goodbye.
In an emotional ceremony, they scattered his ashes in an open field, where can finally run free.
Save Our Street Dogs hopes that by sharing Ol Boy's story with the world they can help other dogs in need.
'Our mission is to save our street dogs to the best of our ability, and give them a chance in life,' the group says on their website.

Gone: One night at 2 a.m., he suddenly sat up and drank water for the final time. He passed away peacefully at 4 a.m.

Goodbye: In an emotional ceremony, they scattered his ashes in an open field, where can finally run free

Farewell: His caretakers covered him in rose petals, wrapped his paws around a single sunflower and said goodbye

They are a group of volunteers, banded together by a common passion to provide for the street dogs of Singapore.
They have no funding nor a shelter, so their rescue efforts are constrained by their resources and manpower.
'It will take the strength of the community to effect change for the welfare of our street dogs,' they say. 'Every hand will help rescue efforts reach a little further.'



source: dailymail

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