A couple of Bengal tigers presented on April 29, 2011 at the zoo of Rio de Janeiro

A tourist takes a snapshot of a couple of Bengal tigers presented on April 29, 2011 at the zoo of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The tigers were named Prince William and princess Kate after Prince William and Kate Middleton' s royal wedding in London on Friday.



A couple of Bengal tigers presented on April 29, 2011 at the zoo of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, lie in their cage. The tigers were named Prince William and princess Kate after Prince William and Kate Middleton' s royal wedding in London on Friday.



A female Bengal tiger in her cage at the zoo of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 29, 2011.



A female Bengal tiger in her cage at the zoo of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 29, 2011.

source : daylife
photo: gettyimages

Thugly duckling: Tiny chick chases after terrified Jack Russell

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Ducking out: The Jack Russell tries to get away as the tiny bird gives chase


When a tiny bundle of feathers encountered a dog it quickly became clear which one was a chicken.

A brave little duckling is seen chasing after a Jack Russell - who tries to make a dash with his tail between his legs - in a classic case of David and Goliath.

Despite the loud barks of the nervous dog, the duckling kept on running at its playmate, trying to have some fun.


All bark, no bite: Despite the loud yelps of the dog, the duckling keeps on waddling towards its playmate


The Jack Russell is so keen to get away that at one point he is seen falling flat on his face.

The duckling must have realised that this dog's bark was worse than its bite.





source: dailymail

The one guest who DIDN'T want to be there: Runaway horse throws its soldier and makes a swift exit

By EMILY ANDREWS

Runaway: The horse threw its rider before leaving the cavalry procession and bolting up Whitehall


It wouldn’t be a proper wedding if there wasn’t at least one slip-up.

But pity the poor cavalry guardsman who fell from his horse when it spooked at the cheering crowds.

He desperately tried to cling on, but was thrown onto the tarmac as the carriage procession left Westminster Abbey and turned from Parliament Square onto Whitehall.


Homing sense: The riderless creature careers alongside the procession - but eventually found its way home to the stables at Horse Guards' Barracks


At first he managed to grab onto the reins and keep his steed to one side, as Kate and William passed by in their open-top 1902 State Landau.

Kate, who is allergic to horses, looked shocked and a little worried, but William calmly reassured her.


Just married: Kate looked alarmed when she saw the horse break loose but was reassured by her new husband


‘People were worried about it charging into the crowd, and the rider stopped it doing that at a crucial moment which really prevented a disaster.

Another onlooker Kelly Littlewood, 24, from Gee Cross in Greater Manchester, said: ‘Kate pulled a funny face and looked quite worried when it happened.

‘The horse raced up the road right in front of Kate and William’s carriage, but you could see William calming Kate down.

‘It was very fortunate that no-one was injured – that would have been dreadful.’


source: dailymail

An Asian elephant calf, born at the Oklahoma City Zoo

An Asian elephant calf, born at the Oklahoma City Zoo April 15, 2011, is pictured with her mother, Asha, right, a 16-year old Asian elephant, and her aunt, Chandra, left, a 14-year old Asian Elephant, at the zoo in Oklahoma City, Thursday, April 28, 2011.



An Asian elephant calf, born at the Oklahoma City Zoo April 15, 2011, is pictured with her mother, Asha, a 16-year old Asian elephant, in Oklahoma City, Thursday, April 28, 2011.



An Asian elephant calf, born at the Oklahoma City Zoo April 15, 2011, is pictured with her mother, Asha, a 16-year old Asian elephant, in Oklahoma City, Thursday, April 28, 2011



An Asian elephant calf, born at the Oklahoma City Zoo April 15, 2011, walks with her mother, Asha, a 16-year old Asian elephant, in Oklahoma City, Thursday, April 28, 2011.


source: daylife
photo: AP photo

It's a dog's wife: Why female pooches are 'more intelligent' than males

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Eye on the ball: Using an experiment involving tennis balls scientists have discovered differences in the brains of female and male dogs


If your female dog can sit, lie down and even bring your slippers then it may not just be well trained.

It could actually be all in her brain.

A study has found that female canine brains are different from that of their male counterparts.

And in at least once task the females have the edge.


No idea: Detailed analysis of the study found that male dogs did not noticed anything odd at all about the balls - yet the females did


Scientists studied a range of common household dogs of both sexes to see whether they understood a simple cognition task that humans understand by the age of one.

The task involved the realisation that objects do not change shape simply because they disappear from view.

They set up a wooden board and using a system involving blue tennis balls and used four different scenarios.


source: dailymail

William will marry his fiancee Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey tomorrow.

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Policemen leading sniffer dogs patrol next to Westminster Abbey the day before Prince William and Kate Middleton are scheduled to marry there on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Millions of people the world over are expected to watch live broadcasts of the Royal Wedding on television in what is becoming the most talked about event of the year.


LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Fans of the royal family take photographs on the Mall as they wait for a sight of the Prince William and Catherine Middleton returning to Buckingham Palace following tomorrow's marriage ceremony in Westminster Abbey on April 28, 2011 in London, England. With less than 24 hours to go final preparations for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton are in place.



LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: A fan of the royal family rests in a chair on the Mall to wait for a sight of the Prince William and Catherine Middleton returning to Buckingham Palace following tomorrow's marriage ceremony in Westminster Abbey on April 28, 2011 in London, England. With less than 24 hours to go final preparations for the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton are in place.




LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton play cards while camped out along the procession route a day ahead of the Royal Wedding on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Millions of people the world over are expected to watch live broadcasts of the wedding on television in what is becoming the most talked about event of the year.




People camp outside Westminster Abbey in central London, as they reserve their space ahead of the Royal Wedding tomorrow, on April 28, 2011. Britain's Prince William will marry his fiancee Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in London, on April 29, 2011.



LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: An ardent fan of Prince William and Kate Middleton walks along the procession route a day ahead of the Royal Wedding on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Millions of people the world over are expected to watch live broadcasts of the wedding on television in what is becoming the most talked about event of the year



LONDON - APRIL 28: Larry, the Downing Street cat, gets in the Royal Wedding spirit in a Union flag bow-tie in the Cabinet Room at number 10 Downing Street on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Prince William will marry his fiancee Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey tomorrow.



LONDON - APRIL 28: Larry, the Downing Street cat, gets in the Royal Wedding spirit in a Union flag bow-tie in the Cabinet Room at number 10 Downing Street on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Prince William will marry his fiancee Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey tomorrow.



LONDON - APRIL 28: Larry, the Downing Street cat, gets in the Royal Wedding spirit in a Union flag bow-tie in the Cabinet Room at number 10 Downing Street on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Prince William will marry his fiancee Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey tomorrow.


LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton camp out along the procession route a day ahead of the Royal Wedding on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Millions of people the world over are expected to watch live broadcasts of the wedding on television in what is becoming the most talked about event of the year.



LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton camp out along the procession route a day ahead of the Royal Wedding on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Millions of people the world over are expected to watch live broadcasts of the wedding on television in what is becoming the most talked about event of the year.




LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton camp out along the procession route a day ahead of the Royal Wedding on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Millions of people the world over are expected to watch live broadcasts of the wedding on television in what is becoming the most talked about event of the year.



LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Spectators hoping to catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton camp out along the procession route a day ahead of the Royal Wedding on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Millions of people the world over are expected to watch live broadcasts of the wedding on television in what is becoming the most talked about event of the year.




LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 28: Spectators draped in British flags stand next to Westminster Abbey the day before Prince William and Kate Middleton are scheduled to marry there on April 28, 2011 in London, England. Millions of people the world over are expected to watch live broadcasts of the Royal Wedding on television in what is becoming the most talked about event of the year.


source: daylife
photo: Gettyimages

Now THAT'S a bunny hop: Rabbit dressage set to take the world by storm

By Daily Mail Reporter


Buggin' out: Snoopy the show jumping rabbit can jump around 60cm high


That rabbits like to hop is hardly a secret. But now European rabbit enthusiasts have harnessed their bunnies' natural talents to create a new spectator sport... rabbit showjumping.

Invented in Sweden in the early Eighties, Kaninhop involves bunnies bouncing their way around courses consisting of several small jumps of varying height and length.

Snoopy, a black-and-white bunny from the German city of Jena, is the star of the local Kaninhop club - and he makes spends his days leaping over all manner of barricades, jumps and rails.


'Snoopy can jump 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) high,' proud Claudia Fehlen, the 23-year-old founder of the Jena bunny hopping club, told Der Spiegel.

'And he has done well in tournaments. He came in second once, and third another time.'

Over the past few decades to sport has spread far from its Scandinavian homeland and clubs have now sprung up in several other European countries, the U.S., Canada and even Japan.

Rules vary from country to country, but generally the more jumps a rabbit clears the higher its score. There is also sometimes a time element to competitions.

On the hop: Snoopy is the star of the Jena Kaninhop club

Oops! Bunnies are scored by the number of jump they can successfully clear, and there is often a time element to competition


As well as the dressage-style courses, there are also long-jump and high-jump challenges.

The world height record is 99.5cm while the best distance is fully three metres, according to Swedish fan site kaninhoppning.se.

Miss Fehlen discovered the sport on the internet about five years ago. She practiced with her pet rabbits in her back garden before starting the Jena club in 2009.

Now there are 13 members who gather once a week in the eastern German city to train their animals.

Mad as a March hare: James the rabbit jumps while he is held on a leash. Trainers say restraints are vital to prevent uncontrolled breeding


Spring in his step: James easily clears another jump while training with his Jena- based Kaninhop club


Animal rights activists are alarmed by the past-time. Sweetrabbits, a private animal rights initiative in Germany, has criticised the use of leashes in Kaninhop competitions.

The group has even accused trainers of using the tethers to pull uncooperative rabbits over the obstacles.

But Miss Fehlen points out important practical reasons for keeping competing rabbits leashed: 'We use them in tournaments for safety,' she said.

'Just think of what would happen if a male were to break free. We want to avoid uncontrolled reproduction. It has happened before.'




source:dailymail

Ape close and personal: Stunning images which capture primates at their most unguarded

By Daily Mail Reporter


Transfixed by the lens: Pangi, left, is a two-year-old bonobo who was born in Frankfurt Zoo. Right, other members of her family preen each other


Staring into the camera, they appear to be baring their soul.

These intimate portraits of apes at Frankfurt Zoo reveal a side of the animals rarely seen.

German photographer Volker Gutgesell has spent the past four years visiting the zoo's primate enclosure to capture the candid images.

Intimate portrait: Gorilla Rebecca, 27, has had eight babies and is also helping look after her sister Quemba to bring up her children


The 58-year-old says the years spent studying the bonobos, orangutans and gorillas has allowed him to pick up on their body language and take the perfect shot in a way few other photographers have managed.

Gutgesell started taking the images to help him cope with severe back pain caused by a slipped disc. He used to travel the world as a media manager until the injury in 2004.

Then in 2007 he developed tinnitus as a result of his injury, causing a constant ringing in his ears. But despite his condition, he has found a way of communicating through his pictures.

He said: 'I stand for many hours watching both the apes and the families that visit them.'

Eye contact: Galdikas, left, is one of four orang-utans at the zoo, and bonobo Heri, right, is also ten years old

Total control: A bonobo balances a nut in her lips


Peak of his powers and recent arrival: A male gorilla and a young bonobo at the zoo


'The more you watch them the more similarities you see between us and them.'

'Their movement is so strikingly similar to ours it becomes quite easy to read what's going on.

'Eye contact is very important - sometimes they see into the camera lens and become transfixed.

'The bonobos are funny creatures - they're my favourite.They live in a society where the males are ruled by the females.'

'So you see the males trying desperately to socialise as much as possible - by preening the females - they can't do enough for them!

'My urgent message is for us to learn from the gentle conduct of our animal relatives the primates.'


source:dailymail

Pets should be renamed 'companions', claim animal rights academics (and rats are just 'free living')

By Daily Mail Reporter


'Free ranging animal': Rats should not be called vermin because the term is derogatory, according to the editors of the Journal of Animal Ethics


Animals should not be described as 'vermin', 'pests' or even 'pets', animal ethicists have decided.

Academics say that traditional words used to characterise animals like 'beasts' and 'critters' are derogatory and should be replaced.

They say words like 'pests' and 'vermin' should be dropped altogether, and 'pets' replaced by 'companion animals'.


'Wild animals' should be termed 'free living or free ranging animals' they argue, because 'wildness' is too close to 'uncivilised'.

The call for a new 'animal language' has been made by the editors of a new academic journal, the Journal of Animal Ethics, published this month for the first time by the University of Illinois Press.


They said: 'Despite its prevalence, "pets" is surely a derogatory term both of the animals concerned and their human carers.

'Again the word "owners", whilst technically correct in law, harks back to a previous age when animals were regarded as just that: property, machines or things to use without moral constraint.'

But their semantic zeal does not end with man's best friends. They also argue for a new understanding of animals in their natural habitat.

'In addition, we invite authors to use the words "free-living", "free-ranging" or "free-roaming" rather than "wild animals",' they said.

'For most, "wildness" is synonymous with uncivilised, unrestrained, barbarous existence. There is an obvious prejudgment here that should be avoided.'

The Journal of Animal Ethics has been launched with the goal of widening international debate about the moral status of animals.

The editors claim that the change in vocabulary is essential to updating our understanding of the relationship between humans and the natural world.


'Companion animal': The words 'pet' and 'owner' are bad because they evoke the idea of property rights, academics say


'Our existing language about animals is the language of past thought – and the crucial point is that the past is littered with derogatory terminology: "brutes", "beasts", "bestial", "critters", "sub-humans", and the like,' they argue.

'We shall not be able to think clearly unless we discipline ourselves to use less than partial adjectives in our exploration of animals and our moral relations with them.'

It is edited by the Reverend Professor Andrew Linzey, a theologian and Director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, and Professor Priscilla Cohn, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Penn State University and Associate Director of the Centre.


source:dailymail

A month-old ring tailed lemur, left, receives a lick from it's one-year-old

A month-old ring tailed lemur, left, receives a lick from it's one-year-old sister "Safina," right, in an exhibit at the Franklin Park Zoo, in Boston, Wednesday, April 27, 2011.



A month-old baby lemur, right, rides on her seven-year-old mother's back in an exhibit at the Franklin Park Zoo, in Boston, Wednesday, April 27, 2011.




Nebbie, a seven-year-old ring tailed lemur, left, carries her month-old baby on her back in an exhibit at the Franklin Park Zoo, in Boston, Wednesday, April 27, 2011. Nebbie gave birth to twins on March 31, 2011, but the baby primates have yet to receive names or have their sex determined. Lemurs, endemic to Madagascar, are social animals and live in female dominated groups in the wild.

source:daylife
photo: AP photo

Swim and bear it: It's all too much for tired grizzly as he rests beside a stream after hard day catching salmon under water

By MICHAEL HANLON

It's all too much for tired grizzly as he rests beside a stream after hard day catching salmon under water

Smarter than the average bear: This one checks out a waterproof camera


They are some of the most powerful carnivores on Earth, weighing up to half a ton each, and, if riled, they won’t think twice about attacking humans.

So getting up close and personal with the grizzly and brown bears of Alaska shows a degree of courage bordering on lunacy.

Without this risk-taking, Paul Sounders, a 50-year-old wildlife photographer from Seattle, would never have captured these exquisite images.

Some of the pictures were taken with the magnificient creatures just 12 inches from the camera lens.


Relaxing: The bear sniffs the air as he lies back and rests near a salmon stream


So how did Sounders avoid being eaten?

‘There are some bears who want nothing to do with people, and some who are quite tolerant — even curious,’ he explains.

Paul travelled alone to Kodiak Island in Alaska and the nearby Katmai National Park on a 22ft motor boat. For six weeks he roamed up and down 60 miles of bear-inhabited coastline.


Now which one shall I eat? The bear edges closer to the school of salmon


‘Katmai’s bears live in paradise,’ he says. ‘They have plenty of food — sedge grasses in the spring, abundant salmon and berries in the summer and autumn.

‘These bears haven’t been hunted for more than a century, and that’s the main reason they don’t fear us. We’re not a threat, we’re not food — and if you’re not a complete idiot they leave you in peace.’


The bear is perfectly at ease as it swims through the waters in search for his lunch


Majestic: It's hard to believe this impressive half-ton brown bear would have weighed just one pound when born


If you go down to the beach: A snap of a grizzly hunting salmon by moonlight

source: dailymail