Meet the real Happy Feet! Baby penguin can't contain his excitement as snow starts to fall

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Full of the joys: The penguin dances around the compound, much to the bemusement of his friends


It's normally little children that get excited at the sight of their first snowflake.

As permanent residents of the chilly, snow-covered South Pole, you'd think for penquins it would all be a bit, well, mundane.

Not so for this little chap who clearly couldn't control his excitement as the white stuff started to fall.

Looking like the real-life star of animated film Happy Feet, the baby penguin tears up and down while his bemused friends look on.

Or maybe he's a fan of penguin-suited dance legend Fred Astaire, who often went through his paces wearing a top hat and tails.

The clip was posted on YouTube two days ago and has already attracted thousands of views.


Inspiration: Is our dancing penguin a film fan? If so he might have seen Happy Feet or one of Fred Astaire's many films


In the Happy feet film, Mumble the penguin is cast as an outsider because he has a terrible singing voice. But he soon becomes the star of the show when he discovers he has talent for something none of his friends has seen before - tap dancing.







source: dailymail

Foreign tourists pose with an elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume

Foreign tourists pose with an elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume for a group photo during a promotional event to mark the Christmas season at a school in Ayutthaya province on December 24, 2010. The event, where the elephants passed out presents to the school's students, was held as part of a campaign to promote Christmas in Thailand.


An elephant dressed as Santa Claus distributes candy to students during Christmas celebrations at Jirasart school in Ayutthaya, 70 km (44 miles) north of Bangkok, December 24, 2010.




An elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume gives out gifts to students to mark the Christmas season at a school in Ayutthaya province on December 24, 2010. The event was held as part of a campaign to promote Christmas in Thailand.



Elementary school students at Jirasartwitthaya school in Ayutthaya, Thailand, reach out to receive presents from elephants dressed as Santa Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. The Christmas event has been held for at least five years at the Thai school where the majority of the students are Buddhist.



Thai mahouts dressed as Santa's helpers gather outside Jirasartwitthaya school in Ayutthaya, Thailand, prior to a show featuring elephants dressed as Santa Claus Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. The Christmas event has been held for at least five years at the Thai school where the majority of the students are Buddhist.




An elephant dressed in a Santa Claus costume performs by standing on its hind legs before giving out gifts to students to mark the Christmas season at a school in Ayutthaya province on December 24, 2010. The event was held as part of a campaign to promote Christmas in Thailand.



A Thai mahout, dressed as Santa's helper, watches outside Jirasartwitthaya school in Ayutthaya, Thailand, prior to a show featuring elephants dressed as Santa Claus Friday, Dec. 24, 2010. The Christmas event has been held for at least five years at the Thai school where the majority of the students are Buddhist.


Elephants dressed in Santa costumes in Thailand


source: Daylife
photo: Gettyimages

March of the penguins: Up close and personal with the quarter of a million who inhabit Britain's furthest flung colony

By MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE

Kings of the road: Penguins at a breeding colony on the beach at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, loiok almost as if they're wandering along a road


P-p-p-posing for their close-ups, these are the penguins who live on the remote island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic.

And while pictures of the inhabitants of Britain's most outlying colony are common - these are possibly the most stunning ever taken.

British photographer, Nick Garbutt, became very friendly with his subjects after travelling to witness the massive colony, made up of around a quarter of a million birds.


In one image, taken in natural harbour Salisbury Plain, he can be seen directly in front of two king penguins.

In others, they troop to the shore and back to feed their hungry offsprint, while one pair put on a spectacular display of courtship - almost creating a mirror image of each other.

The king penguins are shown to be intimate creatures, and greet each other by rubbing their stomachs together and arching their beautiful gold crested necks.



Going walkabout: The king penguins continually make their way to the short and back to feed their young


Garbutt, from Cumbria, took a three week voyage on a ship called the Vavilov.

He sailed from Ushuaia in Argentina's Tierra del Fuego, to the Falklands and from there to the remote island.

The voyage also took him to the Yalour Islands and Peterman Island off the Antarctic Peninsula.


Getting to know you: Photographer Nick Garbutt was allowed to get quite familiar with the king penguins on South Georgia


'There was curiosity on both sides,' said Nick.

'I also felt exhilaration from being surrounded by the sounds, smells and sight of such a large mass of birds.

'It was a really immersive experience.'

Nick was able to take the amazingly intimate shots through careful observation and physical rigour.


Spectacular scenery: The penguins are pictured against the backdrop of Gold Harbour, in South Georgia


'Birds were constantly moving between the colony and the sea with different individuals and groups were going back and forth.

'Often when one sets off, others seem to follow and they trudge the same paths as previous birds.

'Every so often little lines of penguins form as they plod down to the water's edge. I watched this for a while with several groups, then inched my way in on my belly towards the line they were walking.


On the beach: Penguins prepare for a spot of fishing in the clear blue seas of the South Atlantic


'I was able to approach to within a metre and the penguins just walked by.

'Sometimes they'd be inquisitive and look at me and occasionally even look at their reflection in the wide-angle lens.

'It was quite overwhelming to be surrounded by all these birds that were also so bold and confiding as subjects.

Nick was also struck by the lonely beauty of the South Georgian landscape - an emerald wilderness thousands of miles away from motherland Britain.

'The island wildness left me feeling insignificant,' said Nick. 'As if I was standing on the edge of existence.'
King Penguin colonies are present all year-round on South Georgia.


It really is a bit crowded: An estimated quarter of a million King Penguins in the penguin breeding colony at South Georgia


During winter months the penguins have the beaches to themselves. From early spring, which falls in November, they share the beaches with huge colonies of elephant seals.
There are several king penguin colonies on South Georgia.

Salisbury Plain is second largest colony on the islands, with over 250,000 birds in total.

South Georgia is a British Dependent Island administered from the Falklands.


Elsewhere: An Adelie Penguin is caught in a spectacular shot on an iceberg in the Yalour Islands, which Nick Garbutt also visited as part of his tour of the South Atlantic

source: dailymail

Surf's up! Dogs show they can ride the waves too in a swell canine calendar

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Smug mug: July features Betsy the bulldog posing on the board


It's barking mad!

These pictures of surfing dogs show that pooches can ride the waves just as well as their human surfer counterparts.

Part of a 2011 Surf Dogs calendar, the photos feature mainly rescue animals, dubbed SurFURS by the photographers.


March's model is Stanley. He wore a blue life jacket as he rode to shore on a pink and white board


November's sur-fur is Toby, who eschewed the life jacket for a pink collar and lead



Barney caught a wave while standing up on his blue board and wound up as the calendar's cover boy


Husband and wife team Dina Demeo-Grover, 51, and†John Grover, 58, from San Diego, have taken their best shots to produce the novelty item, with proceeds going to various charities, including ones that support spaying and neutering pets.

It's the fourth annual Surf Dogs calendar and, they insist, the original.
Just in time for Christmas, the 2011 calendar is available for purchase on Amazon.com.


May features Dozer in a red life jacket. In the background is some of San Diego, including the famous red-roofed Hotel del Coronado


January features a not-too-happy looking pooch named Toby, wearing a orange life preserver as a wave comes up from behind


There is no missing February's pretty girl Nani in her neon life jacket as she rides the breaker


April features a slightly stricken looking dog named Kona, ears pinned and leaning back



For September, King glides in lying on his stomach as a frothy wave crashed behind him




source: dailymail

Surf's up! Dogs show they can ride the waves too in a swell canine calendar

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Smug mug: July features Betsy the bulldog posing on the board


It's barking mad!

These pictures of surfing dogs show that pooches can ride the waves just as well as their human surfer counterparts.

Part of a 2011 Surf Dogs calendar, the photos feature mainly rescue animals, dubbed SurFURS by the photographers.


March's model is Stanley. He wore a blue life jacket as he rode to shore on a pink and white board


November's sur-fur is Toby, who eschewed the life jacket for a pink collar and lead



Barney caught a wave while standing up on his blue board and wound up as the calendar's cover boy


Husband and wife team Dina Demeo-Grover, 51, and†John Grover, 58, from San Diego, have taken their best shots to produce the novelty item, with proceeds going to various charities, including ones that support spaying and neutering pets.

It's the fourth annual Surf Dogs calendar and, they insist, the original.
Just in time for Christmas, the 2011 calendar is available for purchase on Amazon.com.


May features Dozer in a red life jacket. In the background is some of San Diego, including the famous red-roofed Hotel del Coronado


January features a not-too-happy looking pooch named Toby, wearing a orange life preserver as a wave comes up from behind


There is no missing February's pretty girl Nani in her neon life jacket as she rides the breaker


April features a slightly stricken looking dog named Kona, ears pinned and leaning back



For September, King glides in lying on his stomach as a frothy wave crashed behind him




source: dailymail

Blind dog can 'see' again thanks to a set of extra-long plastic whiskers

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Innovative: Blind Dolly wears plastic 'whiskers' on her collar so she can feel her way around without walking into objects


A blind dog can 'see' again after being fitted with a set of extra whiskers.

Dolly, a Staffordshire bull terrier, lost her sight after developing cataracts brought on by diabetes.

She was left completely blind and would regularly walk into things.

That was until her vet Joanne McCelland pioneered an innovative idea to fit extra long cable ties to the ten-year-old dog’s collar.

The plastic ties help Dolly feel her way around without walking into objects, in much the same way that her natural whiskers do.

Owner Brian Chadwick, from Arnold, Nottinghamshire, claimed the plastic whiskers have helped Dolly recapture her life.

He said: 'We could deal with her diabetes, but when she went blind I felt really helpless.

'The effect of the whiskers was almost immediate. Within a few hours she had learnt how to feel her way around the house with her new plastic whiskers.'

Dolly has lived with Mr Chadwick since she was a puppy.

Over time she has become less dependent on the collar - although she still wears it when she is out and about.


Proud: Owner Brian Chadwick claims the plastic whiskers have helped Dolly recapture her life


Mr Chadwick added: 'The special collar has become quite a talking point in our local park.

'I still can’t believe something so simple has helped Dolly so much.'

Vet Ms McCelland has praised the progress Dolly has made.

She said: 'She wore them a lot at first but doesn’t wear them quite as much now. She has developed a better understanding of the layout of her home.'

Dolly was treated at the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals Pet Aid Hospital in Nottingham where her treatment has turned her into a celebrity.

PDSA spokeswoman Emily Malcolm said: 'Dolly has become an icon for the PDSA and has featured in our magazine and leaflets.'

But Mr Chadwick is just relieved that his companion has retained all her personality thanks to the treatment.

He said: 'Dolly is a wonderful and loyal companion and rarely leaves my side.
'Even though she’s blind, she lives life to the full and is as fun-loving and as lively as ever.'


source: dailymail

I'm a rock'n'roll star! Baby gorilla with the attitude (and quiff) of an A-lister

By CHARLOTTE WILKINS

A gorilla with attitude: A youngster screams with delight as he is tickled by his devoted mother


He's got the attitude, the charisma and the bequiffed look of a rock'n'roll star.
The world's last remaining mountain gorillas are known to share 97 per cent of DNA with humans.

And as this cheeky youngster romped in Rwanda with his devoted mother, he gave further proof of the striking similarities between the two species.

Whether he spent hours backcombing his hair that morning and screaming out 'Brown Sugar' is anybody's guess.

But this baby gorilla could be the Elvis, the Gary Glitter or the Amy Winehouse of the Virunga mountains, a chain of extinct volcanoes that stretch through Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

And while he seemed pretty happy to swagger for the cameras, the super cute youngster was savvy enough to deal with the press attention, gesturing when he thought they should leave him alone.


The media-savvy youngster shows he knows how to deal with the press


And after his showstopping performance, he indulged in a game of tickle with his affectionate mother, who doted on his every scream.

Then exhausted from all his exertions, he relaxed by curling up in his mother's arms and resting.


Love me tender: The baby gorilla is tickled by his adoring mother


After his showstopping performance, the gorilla relaxes in his mother's arms



The gorilla's three muses: Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse and Gary Glitter (from l to r)


source : dailymail

Operation Pupnapper: Police's extraordinary rescue as dog is snatched for ransom

By ALISON SMITH SQUIRE

Playful pup: Louis is happy to be home


When a phone call came in to say a hostage was being held for ransom, six detectives and two uniformed officers swiftly devised a rescue operation.

The plan was fraught with risk, not least the danger that, once rescued, the hostage might slobber all over them in gratitude.

For the captive was a three-month-old pup called Louis, who had been 'dognapped' from his owner's garden.

It was an unusual use of resources for highly trained officers more used to dealing with murders, rapes and other major crimes.

The case began in August when Louis, a £1,000 designer puggle - a cross between a pug and a beagle - was let out into his back garden. In the five minutes that owner Ben Legah had his back turned, Louis disappeared.

Several days of frantic searching ensued as Mr Legah emailed 49 vets in the area with Louis's photo, put up posters and rang animal shelters and kennels.

Just when Mr Legah believed he would never see his miniature dog alive again, he received a menacing phone call demanding £500 for Louis's safe return.

Mr Legah, 25, a promotions manager, said: 'I felt sick. Louis is so small and has never spent a night away from his family.'

Hearing the dog whimpering in the background, Mr Legah, 25, arranged to meet the man in a pub car park near his Birmingham home.

But the dognapper failed to turn up, so Mr Legah called the police. Within minutes Operation Rescue Puggle was in force.


Back together again: Ben Legah and pup Louis


Two officers arrived immediately followed by six undercover CID detectives in unmarked cars. Hours later, the dognapper rang again and the police sting began.

'The police told us to arrange with the dognapper to bring Louis to our house, then one of the officers posed as me,' recalled Mr Legah.

'As soon as the dognapper arrived in his van, and opened the door, the officer burst through it and scooped up Louis. At the same time the unmarked police cars pulled in around his vehicle so he couldn't drive off.

'It was amazing - like something out of a film. But the officers were all fantastic.'

He added: 'Louis ran yelping into my arms as fast as his tiny little legs would carry him. We were all crying with relief and Louis was licking the tears off our faces.'

The pup was dehydrated and thinner but has been given the all-clear by a vet.
Mr Legah said: 'For a few days Louis didn't want to go outside without us. He jumped whenever he heard a loud noise and would cower in the corner.'

He added: 'The thought some stranger is holding your pet prisoner is the ultimate nightmare. Now I don't let Louis out of my sight.'

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said last night: 'On August 22, police received a complaint of blackmail. A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of this and has been given a police warning.'


source: dailymail

Dogs have feelings too: How your pooch can be divided into an optimist or pessimist

By DAVID DERBYSHIRE


Half full or half empty? Scientific research has discovered that some dogs have a pessimistic attitude, while others are optimists


If your dog gets upset when you walk out of the door, it's probably a pessimist.

For scientists have shown that for every pooch who believes its water bowl is half full, another is convinced that the bowl is half empty.

While the discovery that dogs have all-too-human personalities won't surprise pet lovers, the researchers say it sheds light on why some animals are happy to be left on their own, while others suffer from separation anxiety.

Dogs who are naturally optimistic are convinced their owners will return, while the pessimists assume they have been abandoned, they say.

Professor Mike Mendl, head of the animal welfare and behaviour research group at Bristol University who led the study, said: 'We all have a tendency to think that our pets and other animals experience emotions similar to our own, but we have no way of knowing directly because emotions are essentially private.

'However, we can use findings from human psychology research to develop new ways of measuring animal emotion.

'We know that people's emotional states affect their judgements and that happy people are more likely to judge an ambiguous situation positively.

'What our study has shown is that this applies similarly to dogs – that a 'glass-half-full' dog is less likely to be anxious when left alone than one with a more 'pessimistic' nature.'

The findings emerged from a study into the personalities of 24 dogs at two animal shelters in the UK.

Each of the dogs was first assessed to see whether it suffered from separation anxiety - behaviour such as barking, jumping on furniture or scratching at the door when it was left alone.

Each dog was then trained to expect that when a bowl was placed at one specific location in a room it would contain food, but when it was placed in another it would be empty.

Once the dogs had learned that only some bowls contained a meal, the researchers placed bowls in 'neutral' locations in the room.

Dogs that bounded up to the bowls expecting food were classified as optimists. But those who didn't bother approaching the bowls were deemed to be pessimists.

Animals who suffered from separation anxiety were far more likely to be pessimists, the researchers report in the journal Current Biology.

'Around half of dogs in the UK may at some point perform separation-related behaviours - toileting, barking and destroying objects around the home - when they're apart from their owners,' said Prof Mendl.

'Our study suggests that dogs showing these types of behaviour also appear to make more pessimistic judgements generally.'

Dr Samantha Gaines, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said: 'Many dogs are relinquished each year because they show separation-related behaviour.

'Some owners think that dogs showing anxious behaviour in response to separation are fine, and do not seek treatment for their pets.

'This research suggests that at least some of these dogs may have underlying negative emotional states, and owners are encouraged to seek treatment to enhance the welfare of their dogs and minimise the need to relinquish their pet.

'Some dogs may also be more prone to develop these behaviours, and should be re-homed with appropriate owners'


source :dailymail

P-p-pick a fight with me, would you? The moment a giant elephant seal meets its match in a tiny penguin

Pick on someone your own size: The giant Elephant Seal reacts after receiving an unwelcome slap


When something’s in your way, sometimes you just have to move it – no matter how big it is.

So when this king penguin found a giant elephant seal blocking his path to the water, he gave it an almighty slap with his flipper.

But he quickly realised his error as the beast, which is 300 times heavier than he is, let out a huge roar and forced him to waddle backwards.

Luckily, that was as vicious as the encounter got, as the penguin slunk off to go the long way round to the sea. The altercation on the South Atlantic island of South Georgia was captured by British wildlife photographer Robert Fuller, 38.

He said: ‘Several seals had just come out of the surf and were lying on the shore blocking the penguins from getting to the water. But this young penguin was full of bravado.’

source : dailymail

Dog's dinner: Alfie the 41kg, morbidly obese collie is on a fitness drive to lose his flab

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Alfie, an eight-year-old collie cross, weighed 6st 6lb (41kg) when he was taken into a Dogs Trust rehoming centre in Glasgow six weeks ago


A morbidly obese dog which weighed the same as a 12-year-old child is on a mission to lose almost half his body weight, it was revealed today.

Alfie, an eight-year-old collie cross, weighed 6st 6lb (41kg) when he was taken into a Dogs Trust rehoming centre in Glasgow six weeks ago.

He was suffering from pressure sores and had trouble walking as a consequence of his weight.

Staff at the centre put him on a high-fibre, low-calorie diet and introduced him to an exercise regime

He has already lost an average of 2.2lb (1kg) a week, but has to shed another 22lb (10kg) before reaching his target weight.

Sandra Downie, manager of the charity's Glasgow centre, said: 'Alfie's special calorie-controlled diet includes lots of fibre to make him feel fuller for longer and he has started very gentle exercise.

'Sadly, due to his weight when he came to us, he had difficulty walking and even had pressure sores on his elbows.


With Sandra Downie's help Alfie has has already lost an average of 2.2lb (1kg) a week, but has to shed another 22lb (10kg) before reaching his target weight



Sandra Downie said: 'If he had continued like this he would have been at great risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and even organ failure.'


'If he had continued like this he would have been at great risk of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and even organ failure.'

Alfie was recently rehomed with Falkirk residents Joy Seery and Ian Nish, who have vowed to help him lose the remaining weight.

Dogs Trust said it is helping cover the cost of his special diet food and has offered his new owners ongoing help and advice.

Ms Seery said: 'My friends at work laughed when they saw photos of him, but Alfie is an absolute sweetheart.

'He currently weighs 35kg (5st 7lb) so he still has another 10kg to lose until he reaches his target weight, but with every kilo he loses you can see the difference in his energy levels.

'He can jump up on the sofa now and no longer pants heavily when he walks. He loves his ball so we're looking forward to the day when he can play a proper game of fetch like any other dog.'


source :dailymail

Bye bye Butch: Tamworth Two become the Tamworth One as pig dies 12 years after running off to avoid the bacon-slicer

By DAVID WILKES

Solitary swine: Sundance getting used to life on his own yesterday after his sister had to be put down


Their dramatic escape from the butcher’s knife captured the imagination of the nation.
The Tamworth Two, Butch and Sundance, fled an abattoir and spent a week on the run before the Daily Mail rounded them up, bought them off their owner and removed the threat of the bacon-slicer.

But, in the end, even the most cunning pig cannot escape the ravages of time. And now, 12 years on, it is our sad duty to inform you that the Tamworth Two are now the Tamworth One.

Butch has gone to the great sty in the sky after a battle with illness, leaving her brother Sundance feeling a little down in the snout. She was 13, a grand old age for a pig, but her health had deteriorated in recent weeks and she was put down yesterday on vets’ advice.

The two Tamworth pigs, a distinctive breed with a ginger coat, were placed at a farm in Kent after being rescued by the Mail. It was there, at the Rare Breeds Centre in Woodchurch, near Ashford, that staff first noticed Butch was not her usual self when she went off her food.

Over the last three weeks, her condition worsened rapidly. Vets were called, but despite extensive tests and a cocktail of drugs, her ailing health could not be reversed.

Farm manager Davy McColm said: ‘Butch was always the livelier of the two, the more physically active. We knew it was serious because in the end she would just stand there and let us examine her without causing a fuss.

‘She was chronically ill and was not responding to treatment. The vets could not say for certain what was wrong with her, but the prime suspect is liver cancer. Sadly, it reached the point where it was in the animal’s best interests to put her to sleep. Considering she was destined for the chop at six months, she had a good innings.’


Dynamic duo: The young pigs, Sundance, left, and Butch, after arriving in Kent


After a last night cuddle up together in the straw with Sundance, Butch was led away early yesterday to be humanely put out of her misery by a licensed slaughterman, followed by cremation. Staff at the centre are discussing putting a plaque or other memorial at the pen as a permanent tribute.

Mr McColm said: ‘The Tamworth Two led the life of Riley here and were very popular with our visitors. So many people remembered their escape and wanted to see them. Now only Sundance remains, but their story lives on.’

It was in January, 1998 that the porky pair fled from a Wiltshire abattoir, forcing a fence and swimming across the River Avon. They spent a week on the run, searching back gardens and vegetable patches for food, before being rounded up.

Their escapades earned them celebrity status, and they became the subject of a series of books and a film.

Barbara Davies, the Daily Mail journalist who rescued Butch, said: ‘I’m devastated to hear of her death but it’s comforting to know that she lived a long and full life.

‘She and Sundance might so easily have ended up in the abattoir, but they shared a spirit of survival which struck a chord, particularly with the British, but also with animal lovers all over the world. She was a unique animal and her freedom was much deserved.’



As for Sundance, who has gone from ginger to grey with age, he spent yesterday wallowing in his bath, grunting, scratching his haunches against a wooden post and snoozing in the sun as he came to terms with having the spacious sty to himself.

Mr McColm said: ‘I don’t think Sundance has quite put two and two together yet. It will probably hit him at bedtime.

‘Butch and he lived every day of their lives together.

‘It will take him some time to get used to it.

‘Pigs are herd animals but they’re very anti-social when it comes to strangers, so we probably won’t try to introduce another pig to Sundance. He just needs a quiet life now. As long as he has his mud hole, his bed and his food, he’s happy.’

A spokesman for Eastpoint vets of Ashford, who treated Butch, said: ‘We would like to commend the dedicated staff at the Rare Breeds Centre who have cared for Butch. All who encountered her have no doubt become attached to this enterprising and spirited character.'


source :dailymail