As loud as a lawnmower: Smokey the cat's deafening purr

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Purrfect pitch: Record-breaking Smokey registers 92.7 on a volume meter


A cat's purr which is as noisy as a lawnmower has been officially recognised as the loudest in the world.

Smokey has gained a place in the Guinness Book of Records with an incredible purr that measures 67.7 decibels.

And the 12-year-old pet has even been been known to purr as loudly as 90 decibels, which is what you expect from a lawnmower or a hairdryer.


Sound performance: Ruth Adams gets Smokey purring with a breakfast titbit


But being the owner of such an obviously happy cat does have its downside.

Ruth Adams, from Northampton, said:'It can be annoying if her purring starts as you are watching television and it has reached a romantic bit in a film, because it's impossible to hear and spoils the moment.'

It's also a struggle to have telephone conversations. 'When I'm on the phone friends often ask what the loud noise is and they can't believe it is coming from a cat,' Ruth added.

'I don't know why she does it. She's very happy and content, just very loud.'

Smokey originally atytracted attention when he starred in a purring competition in Northampton to support the cats protection charity.

'I can't believe Smokey now has a Guinness World Records title,' said Ruth, who adopted Smokey from rescue centre NANNA in Northampton three years ago for her 10-year-old daughter Amy.

A statement from Guinness World Records said: 'We are pleased to announce that Smokey, a 12 year-old female British short-hair cat, has been recognised as having achieved the loudest purr by a domestic cat at 67.7 dB (LA peak).'

source: dailymail

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Zuri, a one-month old giraffe, stands in front of her father

Zuri, a one-month old giraffe, stands in front of her father, Kimba, in their outdoor yard at the Cincinnati Zoo, Thursday, May 5, 2011 in Cincinnati. Zuri was making her first appearance outside at the zoo.



Zuri, a one-month old giraffe, walks past her parents in their outdoor yard at the Cincinnati Zoo, Thursday, May 5, 2011 in Cincinnati. Zuri was making her first appearance outside at the zoo.

source: daylife
photo: AP photo

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Horror as crazed bull terrier clamps jaws round neck of cow during attack on herd

By RICHARD HARTLEY-PARKINSON

The dog takes a bite at one of the cow's necks and just doesn't let go as his owner shouts and chases after him


This is the horrifying moment that a bull terrier dog clamps its jaws around the neck of a cow during an 15-minute sustained attack on a herd.

The cow's size does not daunt the dog as it clings onto the cows neck for 30 seconds while a distressed farmer fights to pull it off.

Many of the cattle standing in the fields of Petersham Meadows in Richmond are pregnant at the time of the attack and the owner of the vicious beast cannot be traced.


Brutal: The dog lets go momentarily after being shaken off by the cow, which makes its way towards the herd


The herd included calves and witnesses said that some of the older cows butted the dog, called Stamford, and tried to trample it during the attack on Bank Holiday Monday.

One of the brown cows looks as thought it is defending another one and after the dog is tossed into the air it then goes for the brown one instead.


As the dog's owner and herdsman Ian Brown get closer the dog goes to grab hold of the cow again. Another, the brown one to the right, sees what is happening and steps in to help


Herdsman Ian Brown, 64, eventually managed to grab hold of the bull terrier and puts its lead on for a man in a red t-shirt who appears to be the owner.

The man is then chased out of the field by one of the cows and he runs off before he can be questioned by police.

A witness told the London Evening Standard: 'The dog was vicious. It went for the cows and just attacked. It should have been on a leash.


The brown cow knocks the dog flying and soon after it is caught by Mr Brown who puts a lead on the dog which is then chased away with its owner by one of the cows


'It was hanging off one of the cow's necks at one point. It was very distressing.'
The meadows are part of the view from Richmond Hill - the only panorama in England to be protected by an Act of Parliament.

The National Trust vowed to keep the cattle on the meadow when it took over the land, painted by JMW Turner in the 19th Century and described by Sir Walter Scott as 'an unrivalled landscape'.

A spokesman said: 'Fortunately our herdsman is okay and the injuries to the cattle are only superficial. It’s important that people keep dogs on leads around livestock.'

A police added: 'Police attended the scene after reports of a dog attacking cattle in Richmond on Monday.

'The dog and its owner could not be traced.'

A farmer in Ashford, Kent, has won £889 compensation after a Red Nose Day balloon released by pupils at Lyndhurst primary school in Camberwell, 50 miles away, killed his bullock, which choked to death on the string.

source: dailymail

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Need a leg-up son? Mother brown bear teaches cubs how to climb

By TED THORNHILL

Claws for thought: The bear cub makes a valiant attempt at scaling the tree, but mum sees that he's going to need some help


Climbing trees is a bear necessity for these animals – and here mum is teaching her cubs how it should be done.

The Kamchatka Brown Bears’ adventurous manoeuvres took place at Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg and begin with mum physically pushing one of her offspring up the trunk.

She then decides to show them how it’s done and makes an attempt to reach the top herself.

The lesson came about after the creatures tried to snare a crow that fluttered into their enclosure. Reports suggest the bird escaped safe and sound.

The Kamchatka Bear is also known as the Far Eastern Brown Bear and is a subspecies of brown bear.

They can grow to enormous sizes, sometimes reaching three metres in height and weighing up to 650kg.


Up, up and away? Mummy decides to give the little 'un a push as the group track down a crow that's perched higher up


The only bears larger are Kodiak bears and Polar bears, the latter being the largest land predator on Earth.

Crows wouldn’t normally form part of the Kamchatka’s diet. They live in the far east of Russia and survive on salmon, nuts and blueberries.

Hamburg Zoo, meanwhile, is home to 1,850 animals. The bears’ neighbours there include giraffes, elephants, tigers, giant otters and orangutans.


Masterclass: Mum's the word as she shows the kids how it should be done

source: dailymail

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Rescue a KITTEN from a tree

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

A happy ending: Firefighters are all smiles 30 hours after little Cleo the kitten got stuck up a tree


A dozen firefighters sealed off a road for hours and brought in a hydraulic hoist - to rescue a kitten.

They also used a water cannon - but that only forced the terrified animal to climb higher up the tree.

They eventually brought Cleo the kitten to safety after she had been stuck for 30 hours.


Scene: The tree in the St Helier street, Sutton, where mischievous Cleo the kitten got stuck for 30 hours


Fire crews were called to a family's house at midday on Saturday in St Helier, Sutton, south London, after the 13-week-old cat was unable to get down from the 50ft tree in their front garden.

The kitten's owner, stay-at-home mother Zara McIntosh, thanked firefighters and the RSPCA for saving Cleo.

Miss McIntosh, 38, said: 'We were doing the gardening on Friday morning when our two cats, Cleo and Figaro, both went up the tree but Cleo wouldn't come down.

'We tried everything, including coaxing it down with microwaved cat food so she would pick up the smell, but nothing was going to tempt her. Our four-year-old son was really upset.

'The next day firefighters [from Mitcham] came and first tried using a water cannon to scare her into coming down, but that just made the cat go further up the tree.
'She ended up being at the very top of it.'

It was not until firefighters from Wimbledon arrived, with a cherry picker-style hydraulic device, that a fireman was able to remove the cat from the tree.


source: dailymail

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Get off my patch... and make it snappy!

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Beastly surprise: As the photographer trained his lens on the colourful bird as it drank at an African river, a crocodile and a hippo burst from the tranquil waters straight in front of him


After hours waiting beside an African river, Arnaud Germain thought he finally had the perfect shot of his favourite bird.

But as the wildlife photographer trained his lens on the colourful kingfisher, he got a rather different snap than he was expecting.

All of a sudden, a crocodile and a hippo burst from the tranquil waters straight in front of him, locking jaws in ferocious battle.

Arnaud desperately tried to refocus his camera on the river monsters as they fought on the banks of the Shire River, in the Liwonde National Park, Malawi.


Jaws: The two river monsters tussled for a few minutes as the hippo tried to defend its calf


As these incredible images show he captures the moment the crocodile and hippo clashed in a bloody tooth-on-tooth tussle.

At first it looks like the reptile has the upper hand as its head is almost as large of the hippos but the protective mum, defending a calf, soon proves too strong sending the scaly intruder packing, bloodied and bruised.

And the kingfisher seemed completely unphased by the commotion and stayed on its perch the whole time ready for its close up.


I'm waiting: The kingfisher seemed completely unphased by the commotion and stayed on its perch the whole time ready for its close up


The remarkable sequence of events unfolded on Arnaud's 32nd and last trip to the park and made for a event he would never forget.

Arnaud, 37, who has now moved to Nuneaton, Warks, said the momentous day started like any other morning with no hint of the drama to come.

He said: 'After six years in Malawi and 32 trips to Liwonde National Park, I was on my last game drive.

'It was a beautiful morning of June, the air was cold and crisp, and McLoud Kaliati (my guide and friend) and I were alone in the car.



Worth the wait: The remarkable sequence of events unfolded on Arnaud's 32nd and last trip to the park and made for a event he would never forget


'To make the picture more interesting, there was a female hippo in the background. I started shooting with my 500mm lens and realised that there was a tiny baby hippo with the female.

'After five very peaceful minutes and as I was still composing shots with the kingfisher and the hippos when all hell broke loose.


source: dailymail

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Kristen Stewart walks Robert Pattinson's dog in New York

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

New York walkies: Kristen Stewart takes Bear, the rescue dog she shares with boyfriend Robert Pattinson, out for a walk in New York's East Village


Being the pet of a famous movie star may have its perks, but being left behind while your owner travels the world isn't one of them.

Luckily for Robert Pattinson's dog Bear his owner's girlfriend Kristen Stewart is happy to take over walking duties when he isn't there.

With Pattinson was in London promoting Water For Elephants, Kirsten took the reigns as Bear's carer.


Leading the way: Bear and Kristen head out onto the street for their blustery walk


Dressed in skinny jeans, Converse trainers and a grey T-shirt, Kristen, 21, and her canine companion braved the wind and rain as they made their way across New York's East Village.

Clutching his blue lead, Kristen was careful to keep a tight hold on Bear as they set out across the city together.

Pattinson found Bear in an animal shelter while shooting Breaking Dawn in the Baton Rouge area of Louisiana.


Undeterred: Kristen and Bear don't let the New York weather stop them from heading out as they leave The Bowery Hotel on the Lower East Side


The dog was originally called Yogi Bear, but Pattinson and Kristen decided to shorten his name to Bear after Rob admitted he thought Yogi was 'a bit much.'

Kristen, and her canine companion, have been staying at one of the actress's favourite New York hotels, The Bowery, on the Lower East Side of the city.

Meanwhile, the Twilight actress is set to welcome a new man into her life after it was announced today that British actor, Sam Claflin, has been cast alongside her in Snow White and the Huntsman.

The 24-year-old actor will play Prince Charmant to Kristen's Snow White.


source: dailymail

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A bug's eye view

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Beautiful: The Devil's Flower Mantis is one of the largest flower mantis' and takes its name form its ability to mimic flowers to avoid dangers


With their bulging goggle-eyes and technicolour skin tones, these bizarre but beautiful creatures could be aliens sent from outer space.

But as foreign as they may seem, they are in fact some of the world's most unusual creepy crawlies, caught on camera in minute detail.

From a Giant Malaysian Shield Praying Mantis posing with elegance for the camera, to a Schizocephala mantis capturing a fly in mid-air, these incredible close up pictures of insects are a sight to behold.


Strike a pose: This Giant Malaysian Shield Praying Mantis looks almost as though it is about to break into a dance in Igor's studio in Munich, Germany


They were taken by biochemist and photographer Igor Siwanowicz who has spent the last seven years carefully acquiring and breeding these strange insects.

He has worked to painstakingly document these beautiful creatures, who, mimicking flowers to growing fearsome horns, have all developed their own ways of surviving the wild.



Tough guy: This Malaysian Jungle Nymph, left, has rows of razor-sharp spikes on it's head to ward off predators while the Plain Mantis, right, can mimic a butterfly


Cunning: A Schizocephala Mantis captures a fly mid air. Igor studies the habits and physiology of these compelling creatures, which gives him the edge when it comes to producing thought-provoking imagery


Taken in a home studio in Munich, Germany, these are the latest images from his ever growing collection.

Igor studies the habits and physiology of these compelling creatures, which gives him the edge when it comes to producing thought-provoking imagery.

Igor cites his main influence as the works of the designer of the monster from the Alien films, HR Giger who was obsessed with the paradox of turning the human form into an alien one.


Don't mess: When threatened, the Spiny Flower Mantis shows the yellow from their un-opened wings. They are a small species growing to aprox. 40 mm in length


Leaf me alone: The South American dead leaf mantis mimics dead leaves to both hide from predators and prey


The Conehead Mantis, left, lives and hides in long grass and can grow up to 10cm. Right, a Leaf Grasshopper on a bud



Bizarre: A close-up of a the head of Dragonhead Eumegalodon


The Preying Mantis: When directly threatened, many Preying mantises, left and right, stand tall and spread their forelegs, with their wings fanning out wide


Girl power: This female Malaysian Orchid Praying Mantis is, at 60mm, long, twice the size of it's diminutive male counterpart


Silent but deadly: A Leaf Bug, left, hides on a leaf while a Spiny Flower Mantis eats another bug, right


Phone home: A Heterohaeta, left, is the world's largest mantis pictured, while a giant devil's flower mantis, right, could easily be an alien sent from space


Committed: Igor Siwanowicz, left, studies the habits and physiology of these compelling creatures, which gives him the edge when it comes to producing thought-provoking imagery, right

source: dailymail

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Eyes bigger than his stomach: Alligator chomps on police car

By PAUL THOMPSON

Confused: Here's the moment a 10ft long alligator chomped its teeth into the bumper of a police patrol car in Alachua County, Florida


A fearless alligator bit off more than it could chew - when it tried taking a bite out of a police car.

The 10 foot long beast clamped its powerful jaws on the front bumper and refused to let go.

Video footage captured the alligator holding on to the bumper as the car slowly reverses away.

Eventually, it lets go and the gator was captured by a licensed trapper.

The confrontation took place in Gainesville, Florida, when a householder called 911 to report the alligator wandering around a residential neighbourhood.

Sheriff's deputy Victor Borrero responded to the call, and was confronted by the alligator.

He remained in his car while the animal tried to take a bite out his bumper.
The alligator had wandered into the residential area from Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.

Police said no one was injured and the officer's car suffered damage to the front bumper.


Alligator attacks Police car


source: dailymail

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New footage of a hummingbird: how they drink

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Thirsty: With wings flapping 90 times a minute and heart rates over 1,200 bpm, hummingbirds need many times their own body weight in nectar every day


Spectacular new close-up footage of hummingbirds has shaken established wisdom about how the tiny creatures drink - and could even help engineers create a more efficient mop.

Ornithologists Alejandro Rico-Guevara and Margaret Rubega of the University of Connecticut built transparent flowers to allow them to film high-speed, magnified footage of hummingbird tongues flicking into nectar.

As the video shows, instead of simply sucking up the liquid, the tiny birds' tongues have tubes which open down their sides when hitting nectar. When the hummingbird retracts its tongue, the tubes snap shut and carry the nectar back into the beak.


New mystery: If researchers can see how hummingbird tongues move into the beak, they might be able to understand how fluid can be extracted so quickly


Researchers had believed that hummingbirds' high-speed drinking was down to capillary action - the same natural law that causes liquid to rise up the sides of a narrow tube.

The shape of the birds' tongues supported the idea, while its efficiency made intuitive sense. But there was one glaring flaw in the model.

The laws of physics dictate that hummingbirds should prefer nectar with a sugar concentration of about 20 to 40 per cent - any more sugary and the solutions would be too thick to rise quickly. But the birds often sup fluids with double that level of sugar.

If researchers can see exactly how hummingbird tongues move into the beak, they might be able to understand how the fluid can be extracted so quickly.

The lessons learned from the hummingbird's tongue could help with the design of self-assembling electronics, fluid power microchips and even liquid sipping robots.

But the discovery could yet have more mundane applications.




source: dailymail

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