Where do you think you're going? Bossy baby puma tries to stop zookeeper leaving her enclosure by grabbing hold of his leg

By TAMMY HUGHES

Where do you think you're going? Adorable seven week old Missuula tries to catch her zoo keeper as he tries to leave her enclosure

As little madams go this seven-week-old puma really takes the biscuit.
The bossy baby feline - named Missuula - might be young but she's not frightened of throwing her weight around.
She was pictured today, by photographer Stephanie Plick, attempting to catch her zookeeper a he left her enclosure at Freidrichsfelde zoo, in Berlin.
With an expression that most parents will appreciate as being a plea for playtime she looks up at the keeper with wide blue eyes.
Missuula weighs around 3kg and is the first puma offspring to be raised at the zoo in 22 years.
Pumas are the most widespread of the American cats and have the largest distribution of any mammal in the western hemisphere.

These large slender animals are found across a diverse range of habitats, from arid desert to cold coniferous forest, and although terrestrial, can swim and climb trees when they need to.
Pumas are powerful predators and hunt by stalking and ambushing their prey. However, if ill or young, they themselves can become lunch for hungry wolves or bears.

source: dailymail

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Lazing on the river, Sammie the seal soaks up the sun in his very own dinghy

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Relaxing: Sammie the seal takes it easy in his very own dinghy on the river Dart at Gurrow Point at Dittisham, Devon

When it comes to relaxing, you’ve got to do whatever floats your boat.
For Sammie the grey seal, it means soaking up the sun in his very own leisure craft.
He was spotted basking in the dinghy at Dittisham in Devon.
Moored off Gurrow Point at Dittisham in the River Dart, the bright orange craft has become like a swimming pool lounger for the animal as he dozes in the sun while letting the rest of the world drift by. Peter Mackley, who owns the Gurrow Point private estate nearby, saw the seal flopping into the boat and grabbed his camera. ‘It was like a small kid launching himself on to a Lilo,’ he said.
‘He was lolling back like a film star.’

Like a film star: Photographer Peter Mackley said that Sammie launched himself into the boat like a small kid launching himself onto a lilo

Laid back: The seal uses the craft like a lounger to enjoy the sunshine

Sammie is a familiar sight in the Dart and before finding the dinghy, was often seen sunning himself on the shore.

source: dailymail

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Bird Strike! Isle of Man TT rider ducks for cover as low-flying sea gull collides with his Superbike at a blistering 170mph

By DAMIEN GAYLE

Watch where you're going! A low-flying sea gull collides with John Hutchinson's Swan Yamaha Superbike as he hurtles down a straight at the Isle of Man TT motorcycle meet

This Isle of Man TT racer was sent ducking for cover when one of the island's ever present sea gulls strayed in front of his Superbike, just as he was picking up speed.
Swan Yamaha rider Ian Hutchinson was tearing 170mph down a straight on the world famous motorcycle meet when this low flying bird collided with his bike.
The impact shattered the screen of his 1000cc Superbike, sending Hutchinson ducking for cover as the spinning scavenger hurtled towards his helmet surrounded by a corona of shards of glass.
Luckily both rider and, incredibly, bird survived the incident. The bird suffered a severely damaged wing and, according to bikesportnews.com, was taken to the RSPCA.
Hutchinson had been on his opening practice session for the long-running motorcycle event on Monday evening, for many years the highlight of the world's bike racing calendar.
He completed his practice with a top lap of 123mph average speed, putting him in 17th position at the end of the day's qualifying.

High speeds: John McGuinness on his TT Legends Honda at Creg Ny Baa during the third Superbike qualifying session for the 2012 Monster Energy Isle of Man TT

Race: Guy Martin on his Tyco Suzuki at Creg Ny Baa during the third Superstock qualifying session for the Isle of Man TT

Superbike racing is a class of motorcycle racing that employs modified production motorcycles.
The restriction to production models distinguishes Superbike racing from MotoGP racing, which where racers ride prototype machines bearing little resemblance to production machines.
This is somewhat similar to the distinction in car racing between touring cars and Formula One cars, though the performance gap between Superbike and MotoGP racing is much smaller.

source: dailymail

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Viewers' outrage over harrowing scenes of day-old calves being shot just because they are male

By PAUL REVOIR

Alarming: Scenes on the programme proved too much for some viewers and the channel received 58 complaints

Harrowing scenes of newly-born dairy calves being lined up and shot dead simply because they are male have left television viewers sickened.
The images of three Jersey calves being killed were filmed to highlight the grim reality of the dairy industry.
The Channel 4 programme, featuring farmer Jimmy Doherty, was explaining how more than 90,000 male dairy calves are shot at birth every year because there is no market for them.
But graphic scenes of a ‘knacker man’ pointing his gun to the head of the calves and shooting them in their brains was too gruesome for many.

Shocking: Graphic scenes of a 'knacker man' pointing his gun to the head of the calves and shooting them in their brains was too gruesome for some

Last night Channel 4 said it had received 58 complaints about the first episode of Jimmy and the Giant Supermarket, while the media regulator Ofcom had received more than ten. Viewers described the footage as ‘sick’, ‘horrific’ and one of the most upsetting things they had seen on TV.

'Jimmy and the Giant Supermarket' showed a dairy farmer slaughtering three young male calves at 9.30pm on Tuesday night

Channel 4 showed the slaughterman creeping up beside the calves, who were about a day old or younger, before pulling his trigger.One of the animals was seen collapsing, then the camera cut away to the face of the presenter as the other two were killed.
They were then taken away to be rendered down to tallow to fuel a Belgian power station. Mr Doherty was later seen planning to make his own range of meatballs in an attempt to tackle the ‘huge’ problem in the dairy industry of unwanted male calves.

The programme, featuring farmer Jimmy Doherty, was explaining how more than 90,000 male dairy calves are shot at birth every year because there is no market for them

The TV farmer suggested slaughtered animals could instead be raised for veal.
He said British rose veal was ‘high welfare’ but because of previous cruelty concerns around this kind of meat, male calves were still viewed as a ‘waste product’.
The scenes, which aired at around 9.30pm on Tuesday, shocked many animal lovers.
One tweeted: ‘Harrowing scenes of male calves being euthanised on Jimmy and the Giant Supermarket.’ Another said: ‘Had to turn that Jimmy programme over, they were shooting male calves who were only a day old! Beautiful creatures, so sad! Feel sick.’ A third added: ‘One of the most upsetting things I’ve seen in ages. Just awful.’ Others described the scenes as ‘pretty horrific’ as another said the calves ‘looked like Bambi’.

Support: Animal charities backed the decision to show the scenes. The RSPCA said it was important to raise awareness about how food and drink is produced

Upset: Many distressed viewers took to Twitter to express their feelings. One described the scenes as 'sick'

But animal charities backed the decision to show the scenes. The RSPCA said it was important to raise awareness about how food and drink is produced.
A Channel 4 spokesman said: ‘We feel it is important to show the reality of this practice to offer viewers a rounded perspective of the issues the programme touches on.
‘The programme went out after the watershed, was preceded by a warning and the animals were killed humanely by an expert.’

source: dailymail

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'We're going to need a bigger boat': Two fishermen reel in 'largest shark ever caught in British waters'

By JAMIE MCGINNES

Awesome: This 10ft-long porbeagle shark was caught 300 yards off a Cornish beach

It was supposed to be a pleasant day fishing for tiddlers off the Cornish coast.
But that all changed when Wayne Comben and Graeme Pullen came face to face with the razor-sharp teeth of a monster shark in a feeding frenzy.
For an hour and a half, the pair fought to reel in the massive fish, thought to be the largest shark ever caught in British waters. In scenes reminiscent of the movie Jaws, the 10ft-long porbeagle, a member of the man-eating Great White family, dragged their tiny boat for a mile out to sea.
Experts believe the predator weighed about 550lbs (more than 39 stone), easily beating the 507lbs record for the previous biggest shark caught off the north Scottish coast in 1993.

Rare sight: Richard Peirce, of the Shark Trust and Shark Conservation Society, said the huge size of the fish meant it was a probably a female

It dragged the two men and their 17ft-long boat for a mile and they spent 90 minutes reeling it in using a rod and line taken from a garden strimmer.
Their underwater camera recorded the moment the huge fish - thought to be a female and possibly pregnant - was pulled toward their little boat, the Hi Sea Drifter.
Mr Comben, who had never seen a shark before, came just inches from the porbeagle's razor-sharp teeth as he and Mr Pullen leaned over the side to catch it.

You're gonna need a bigger boat: In scenes reminiscent of the movie Jaws, Wayne Comben and Graeme Pullen reel in the shark

It was impossible for them to lift the beast on board, as they would have needed a bigger boat.
After measuring its length and width at 10ft and 2ft, they were able to calculate its weight at around 550lbs (more than 39 stone).
Mr Pullen, 60, legally tagged it for his business totallyawesomefishing.com, before removing the hook from its mouth and releasing it back into the sea off Boscastle, North Cornwall.
The veteran fisherman said: 'I have never seen anything like it in 40 years of sea fishing.
'The whole thing was like something from Jaws.
'The shark went into this crazed feeding frenzy.

Epic battle: Anglers Graeme Pullen (left) and Wayne Comben (right) spent 90 minutes reeling in the shark, which dragged them and their 17ft-long boat for a mile

'If someone would have been in the water at the time it would have taken a good bite out of you.
'It was about 10ft long and was easily 550lbs. Even we had more men, we would have needed a bigger boat to bring it on board. It would have capsized us.'
Despite its size, fearsome teeth and relation to the Great White, porbeagles are shy creatures and not considered a threat to humans.
Some experts believe porbeagles and blue sharks are migrating to UK waters because there is not enough food for them in the over-fished Atlantic.
Mr Pullen, from Hook in Hampshire, believes the huge specimen acted in such a frenzied way because it was hungry.
The pair were tagging small tope and bull huss fish when they caught the shark on May 23.

Vessel: Graeme Pullen said their boat, Hi Sea Drifter, was not big enough to bring the shark on board even if they had wanted to

Mr Pullen said: 'It was getting towards the end of the day and I just tipped three buckets of chum over the side of the boat.
'All the seagulls came over to feed on it and then in a split second they all rose off the water.
'At that moment this enormous shark ripped through the surface, thrashing its tail and fins about and went into a feeding frenzy.
'When I saw it I thought it was easily about 300lbs.
'It took our mackerel bait and got our small hook in the corner of its mouth and dragged us for a mile towards the Atlantic.
'After an hour Wayne put a harness on because his back was giving way.'
Mr Comben, a 45-year-old water engineer from Havant, Hampshire, said: 'The way the shark just exploded on to the surface gives me goose bumps thinking about it now.

Caught on camera: The shark is thought to be the largest ever reeled in within British waters

'I fought the fish with everything I had and was running on adrenaline by the end of it.
'At one point I saw it under the boat and the size of it sent a shiver down my spine.'
Mr Pullen used green strimmer line to act as the strong 'leader' line and grabbed hold of it to control the shark when it came up to the boat.
Just like in Jaws, both men had to put on leather gloves otherwise their hands could have been sliced open if the shark swam off with the line.
Dr Phil Williams, an independent expert of marine species, has studied the footage and photographs of the catch.

At risk: The porbeagle shark is classed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as critically endangered in the north east Atlantic

He said: 'The current British record for a shark is 507lbs and this has got that beaten hands down.
'Looking at the footage, the shark is immense. It is huge and colossal, I haven't seen anything like it.
'Its shoulders and head are just massive.'
Chris Brown, a marine biologist for the chain of SeaLife centres, said: 'f the length and bulk descriptions of this fish are accurate then its probably not far off the 550lbs mark.
'The pictures certainly seem to support the fisherman's story.'
Richard Peirce, chairman of the Shark Trust and Shark Conservation Society, said the huge size of the fish meant it was a probably a female - and possibly pregnant.
He praised the anglers for releasing the endangered shark back into the water.
Mr Peirce added: 'At that size it was almost certainly a female.
'There have been quite a lot of reports of pregnant females on this coast over the years.'

source: dailymail

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That's a tight squeeze! Fox trapped in four inch gap between two garages for 36 hours

By SUZANNAH HILLS

Filling the gap: A small fox cub managed to get himself wedged in a four inch gap between two walls

This fox cub found himself in a bit of a tight spot after getting stuck in a tiny four inch gap between two brick walls for 36 hours.
The young male managed to wedge himself 10 feet into the cavity between two brick-built garages in Emsworth, Portsmouth.
It was only when a passer-by heard his squeals that the cub was discovered and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service service were called.
Animal rescue specialist Buster Brown attended the scene and had to use chimney rods to reach the distressed fox.
He then used a drill, hammer, bolster and chisel to remove bricks from the garage wall and release the cub.

Lucky break: A passer-by heard the cub and discovered the fox trapped between two garages in Emsworth, Portsmouth

Mr Brown said: 'Once a hole was made I realised the cub had moved slightly so I had to make another. This process took nearly two hours as I had to remove the bricks carefully to ensure I didn’t injure the animal.'
The young fox, who was stuck in the gap for a total of 36 hours, was later released into the wild after Mr Brown had checked it over.

Rescued: The fox cub was eventually freed by fireman Buster Brown after being trapped in the gap for 36 hours

source: dailymail

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The eyes that say 'who could do this to me?' Dog starved for TWO MONTHS and abandoned in a box is thinnest RSPCA has ever seen

By JULIAN GAVAGHAN

How could they! The Staffordshire cross looks in a pitiful state as RSPCA staff feed her with a drip

A dog abandoned in a cardboard box by the side of the road has been described as the ‘thinnest dog ever seen alive’ by the RSPCA after being starved for two months.
The Staffordshire cross, believed to be around two years old, weighed just 17.6lb - half the healthy weight for her breed - and was too weak to swallow any food or drink when she was found.
The animal, handed into an RSPCA centre in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, by a man who didn't give his name was named ‘Hope’ by staff and had to be bound in bubble wrap just to keep her alive. She spent several days on a drip and is now able to hold her head up and has slowly started eating and drinking.
Vet Anna Parry said: ‘I have spent eight years working at an RSPCA clinic in the past so I am no stranger to abused and neglected animals but this is the thinnest dog I have ever seen alive.

Sickening: Bones stick out of the body of Hope, who weighs just half the weight that she should

‘She weighs just 8kg and a healthy weight for her would be more like 16.
‘When she first arrived we had to wrap her in blankets and bubble wrap just to keep her warm as she could not maintain her temperate and although she is now off the drip and much more responsive she still has a long way to go.’
Hope, believed to be aged between one and two years old, was found in a cardboard box in a lay-by near a burger van at the side of the A370 near Hewish, Somerset, on May 16.
Spokeswoman Jo Barr said: ‘Hope was in a really bad condition and the vets didn't think she would make it though the first night.
‘She must have been starved for months to be in that condition. She would have only had a few hours left to live if she wasn't handed in.
‘She had to be picked up everywhere, she wasn't able to walk or stand at all. She was in a collapsed state.
‘Hope can now stand but only for a short amount of time.’
RSPCA inspector John Norman is investigating and has appealed for information on the dog.
He said: ‘This poor creature was found in a terrible state, and it would seem that whoever allowed her to get like this simply tried to get rid of the problem by abandoning her as though she was rubbish.

source: dailymail

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You little pest! Lion roars in pain as playful cub sinks her teeth into mother's back

By ANTHONY BOND

Fun-loving: This lion club was clearly in a playful mood when she decided to jump on her mother's back

Parents are regularly having their patience tested by mischievous children and it seems this is also the case in the animal world.
This lion cub was clearly in a playful mood when she decided to jump on her mother's back.
The fun-loving youngster, about two months old, jumped on her mum and playfully sunk her teeth into her.
The female adult lion, thought to be about five years old, mostly contained her annoyance.
But one of her cub's nips was clearly a bit too hard and, as these pictures show, the mother appears to roar out in pain.

Agony: The cub, about two months old, jumped on her mum and playfully sunk her teeth into her, which looks like it caused the adult some pain

Amateur wildlife and landscape photographer Mark Dumbleton took the adorable images in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.
He has made a number of visits to parts of the wilderness in Africa to photograph wildlife and landscape.

Stunning: Amateur wildlife and landscape photographer Mark Dumbleton took the adorable images in the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya

Playful: He has made a number of visits to parts of the wilderness in Africa to photograph wildlife and landscape. This image shows the lion cub fooling around with its mother

Mr Dumbleton, 30, from Johannesburg, South Africa, said: 'The mum wasn't too annoyed but you can see the cubs very sharp teeth did hurt a bit.
'It's always amazing watching lions interact with each other and this was one of those special moments of a mother's interaction with her cub.
'It wasn't too difficult to photograph as the Masai Mara plains are basically just short grass.
'But you need to try and predict movement and interactions and be ready when the action does happen.
'The adult lion didn't do anything more than play along and only eventually did she show slight signs of needing to discipline her young cub.'

source: dailymail

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Walking on water! Lizard skips across lake in close-up captured by 'invisible' photographer

By ROB PREECE


Making a splash: A bright green double-crested basilisk lizard runs across the water in Santa Rita, Costa Rica

It is a miraculous sight, a privileged glimpse of a bright lizard appearing to walk on water as it dashes with limbs pumping in search of its next meal.
But this wonderful picture is not a one-off - it is one of many brilliant images captured by a man known as 'the invisible wildlife photographer'.
Hungarian photographer Bence Mate has won awards for his work and, judging by these stunning pictures of birds, reptiles and other curious creatures, it isn't hard to see why.



...And the other way: A darker green double-crested basilisk lizard dashes in the opposite direction, causing spray to rise around it


Glare: A Satiny parrot snake looks into the camera with bulging eyes as it devours a frog in Hungary


What big eyes you have! This amazing close-up clearly shows why the red-eyed tree frog was given its name. It was taken in Costa Rica

Mr Mate's portfolio includes at least two photographs of green double-crested basilisk lizards racing across the water.
Other pictures show Dalmatian pelicans opening their mouths as if breaking into song or being mobbed by a flock of gulls.
Elsewhere, poor fish look helpless as they are caught in time for dinner by great white egrets and grey herons.
Another stunning photograph shows a brightly coloured European roller flying directly at the camera, risking a collision.


All together now: Dalmatian pelicans open their beaks extremely wide as if in song in this picture, taken at Lake Kerkini, Greece


Pleased to see us? A group of Dalmatian pelicans are mobbed by a flock of gulls on the Danube delta in Romania


A predator swoops: A hungry grey heron grips a fish in its beak after catching it in water in the Prypiat area of Belarus


In trouble: A helpless fish faces its fate after being plucked by a great white egret, left, and two grey herons climb on top of another, right, in these photographs taken at Hungary's Kiskunsag National Park


Bolt from the blue: Even as lightning strikes, a large mixed flock of birds remains on Lake Csaj in Hungary's Kiskunsag National Park


Fixed gaze: A female sparrowhawk opens its eyes wide while bathing in the water at the beautiful Hungarian park


Refreshing: With its tail feathers fluttering, an American jay bird bathes in the water at Hungary's Kiskunsag National Park


Mirror, mirror: A flock of long-tailed tits stands at the water's edge, creating a beautiful reflection effect at Kiskunsag National Park in Hungary

Mr Mate, 27, can spend months waiting for the perfect picture opportunity to arise, quietly tucked away in hides which he has designed and built.
The hides often use one-way glass, which enables him to get so close to his oblivious subjects.
The photographer, who specialises in action shots of birds, said the success of his work was down to careful planning and lots of patience.

Graceful: A European roller is captured in flight with its impressive bluey-purple wings outstretched

Tea for two: A male red-footed falcon seeks to impress a female by offering it a small mammal to eat. The female's beak is already open in expectation


Open-mouthed: Two male blackbirds sing to each other in this amazing photograph, taken at Hungary's Kiskunsag National Park


Playfighting in the sky: Juvenile white-tailed sea eagles grapple mid-flight as they hover over Hungary's Kiskunsag National Park

He said: 'If a photographer wishes to capture a fast and exciting action scene in a technically perfect manner, he or she should at least know, or try to guess, what is going to happen in front of the lens.
'When walking in the wild with a pair of binoculars around our necks, we often witness breathtaking moments in nature.
'But at such moments factors such as distance, light, background, environment and the miracle of surprise, seldom enable us to pass on our visual experience to others.
'In my work I have strived to "forecast" when such moments will occur and capture them in photographs.'


Please, I'm hungry! A Dalmatian pelican chick's beak interlocks with an adult's as it begs for food on the Danube delta in Romania


Watch closely: Two common buzzards stare into one another's eyes at Kiskunsag National Park in Hungary


Feed me please: A common cuckoo chick begs for food from its foster parent, a great reed warbler, at Kiskunsag National Park in Hungary

source: dailymail

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Weighing in...the hedgeblob: Rotund hedgehog tips the scales at twice his normal size after snaffling all the CAT food

By LUKE SALKELD

Does my paunch look big in this? Roly Poly the portly hedgehog lolls in a set of scales next to his rather shy normal sized companion

THERE’S no need to hedge any bets here.
When Roly Poly and a fellow hedgehog were placed on a set of scales, it was clear which one was heavier, weighing in at 4.5lb, way above the normal 1.3lb.
His excess size leaves him unable to carry out his natural defence mechanism of rolling into a ball when facing danger. So now he is on a strict diet at the Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre, Somerset.
He piled on the pounds after a couple found him in their garage, looking underweight, and began to feed him bowls of cat food.
‘We’ve had to house him in an otter box because a normal hedgehog one is far too small,’ said Pauline Kidner, of the rescue centre which cares for 4,000 birds and animals a year. ‘His intake of cat food and cat biscuits has been reduced to 150g (5oz) a day so he’s gradually losing weight.’
Once he is near 2lb, he will be released back into the wild.

Roly, have you been at the Whiskers again? The portly hog got so fat he couldn't even roll into a ball and as such has been put on a diet

source: dailymail

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