By Daily Mail Reporter


Safe at last: One of the injured and starving dogs is finally rescued


Two dogs that were stranded on a Kansas City rooftop were dramatically rescued yesterday after spending almost a week without food or shelter.

Rescue teams and firefighters arrived on the scene at a local business to help recover the animals after they had been stuck for six days.

Store manager, Mark Dirks, said he was stunned when he called animal control for help getting the dogs off the roof of his building and was told that they 'don’t do rooftops.'

Rescued: Treats were used to successfully coax this puppy off the rooftop


'I wondered how they got up there and hurt, too,' said Mr Dirks after the two dogs that had been on his roof since Friday.

It is thought the dogs navigated their way through a fence and made it on the roof of the local beauty supply business, Bunny's.

Stephanie Henshaw from Love4Paws group, successfully rescued the first dog on Wednesday afternoon, but had trouble recovering the second animal, who was limping and needed much coaxing.

The fire fighters managed to rescue the second dog down by throwing a coat over it and carrying it down a ladder.

Mr Dirks was stunned by the response from Animal Control who initially refused to rescue the animals.

'They said they don’t go on rooftops. That’s the city. What else can we do? That’s a shame.'

Rescue operation: One of the dogs is coaxed into the arms of a rescuer

Collared: The starving pooch is finally caught after the six day ordeal

Arriving at last: A firefighter eventually rescues the stranded dog, who was stuck on a roof for six days

Team effort: Firefighters and rescue workers finally arrive on the scene yesterday


Mr Dirks then called 911 asking for the Fire Department, the operator told him to call Animal Control. At this point Mr Dirks decided to call the Love4Paws rescue group. Ms Henshaw, from the rescue group, brought some treats and captured the puppy, but the larger dog was too scared and he jumped out of her arms onto the store awning. She tried for two hours to coax him down, but to no avail.

KCTV5 decided to call the police and explain what was going on. An animal control officer was finally sent to assess the situation and then brought in the fire department. The dog was scared, but fire fighters finally rescued him.

Ms Henshaw was glad to see the injured dog brought down off the roof, but she fails to understand why animal control took so long to come to the rescue.

'I guess, in my opinion, Kansas City police should have been here sooner,' Ms Henshaw said.

Relieved: Stephanie Henshaw, rescue worker, was happy to see the dogs off the roof but doesn't understand why animal control dragged their feet


source:dailymail

By REBECCA ENGLISH


Behind the foreground rider the horse can be seen as it falls and entangles its legs in the wheels of the gun carriage


Members of the public looked on in horror today as an army horse died on parade during a freak accident in London’s Hyde Park.

The animal, called Murphy, was taking part in the Royal Gun Salute which takes place on June 2 each year to mark the coronation of the Queen.

Soldiers from the King’s Troop were lining up when the horse tripped while galloping and his legs became entangled in the wheels of a gun wagon, which then dragged him across the grass.


Soldiers rush to disentangle the fallen horse


Realising the animal is bady hurt, a soldier dashes off to find expert help


As he fell, Murphy suffered a ‘complex fracture’ of his leg and after being examined by an on-site vet was immediately put down by injection.

Devastated soldiers erected a green tent around the animal to shield onlookers from the distressing scene which took place shortly before mid-day.

An army spokesman told Mail Online: ‘Unfortunately the horse, called Murphy, became entangled in the gun carriage which was being moved into position and very sadly broke its leg.


A soldier looks up as he realises the severity of the animal's injury


Distraught, a horseman buries his face in his hands


'The vet officer in place immediately gave him pain relief but it was a very complex fracture and the only course of action was to put him down by injection. It was really the only course of action.

‘Everyone involved was naturally distressed. Murphy had been with the regiment for a very long time.

‘It was a tragic accident, one of those split second things that happen and he went down straight away.

‘It is very rare, though, that something like his should happen. No-one can remember anything like this happening before.’


n a shot taken from the watching spectators, soldiers from the King's Troop erect a barrier around the horse as a vet gives it a lethal injection


The salute, to mark the 59th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne, was cancelled as a mark of respect.


Horse injury cancels Queen's 41-gun salute



source: dailymail

By EMILY ALLEN

A King penguin protects a female from another male as the sun sets over South Georgia


These stunning aerial images of a King Penguin colony in South Georgia show just how extraordinary penguin parenting really is.

In what looks to be the world's largest creche, thousands of king penguins instinctively herd their recently born young into giant huddles to stop them freezing to death.

Parental instinct takes over in the inhospitable climate of the South Atlantic and the chicks with their long, brown, downy coats, are made to crowd together to retain their body warmth in the equivalent of bird creches - visible as brown swathes on our photo.


Birds of a feather: Thanks to these stunning aerial images we can see penguin parenting in action


Meanwhile their extraordinary parents waddle down to the shore to bring back dinner for their offspring.

The chicks, which take between 10 to 13 months to raise - cannot regulate their body temperature and the parents care for them round the clock for the first three weeks.

They then put the chicks in one of the creches, returning every two or three days with food.


This king penguin colony in South Georgia in the Falkland Islands really knows how to look after its young


The picture was taken at the shoreline of South Georgia, a British territory close to the Falklands.

It is one of the main breeding colonies for the birds.

A full penguin breeding cycle lasts more than a year and pairs generally breed twice every three years.


The King Penguin is the second largest species of penguin weighing up to 35lbs. The Emperor penguins are the largest.

They eat small fish - mainly lanternfish, and squid and repeatedly dive to more than 100 metres to find lunch.

There are an estimated 2.23million pairs of King Penguins with numbers increasing.


source: dailymail

By Daily Mail Reporter


Tender: Elizaveta Tishchenko, 12, has become best friends with Max the white Rhino and loves to stroke and cuddle him at the wildlife centre in Kenya


With one stamp of its feet, this two-ton wild rhino could crush a human with ease.

But oblivious Elizaveta Tishchenko, 12, has become best friends with the beast and loves nothing more than to cuddle his leathery skin.

The pair have struck up an extraordinary relationship since orphaned white rhino Max was found wandering through the Laikipia District of Kenya as a youngster.


After being taken into the centre of rehabilitation at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya around three years ago, Max took a shine to the young girl while she was visiting the country.

Despite being renowned for their aggressive nature, five-year-old Max likes Elizaveta to stroke his back gently as he tucks into some grass.

And he even rolls around in the grass on his back so she can pet his stomach like a dog.

Her father Alexey, 40, said: 'We were told by guards in the area a new rhinoceros had been abandoned and taken in by the centre to look after him.

'After driving for about 20 minutes through the bush we noticed a white rhino jogging towards us.

Best buddies: Gentle giant Max rolls on to his back so that Elizaveta can pat his stomach like a puppy. Elizaveta's father said she doesn't stop talking about her new friend


'That wasn't too unusual as they aren't afraid of jeeps - but it stayed with us for a long time.

'We realised it was the young rhino workers were talking about so asked our guides to let us out of the jeeps and they did.

'Max paid no attention to the rest of us - he was too busy with eating grass while my daughter started to pat him like a puppy.

'He even let her pull his tail and didn't react to it in the slightest. He was completely comfortable with her and it just went on from there.

'Elizaveta couldn't have been happier. She loved it and loved her new friend. She doesn't stop talking about Max.'


source:dailymail

By LEE MORAN

Bonding: Matevz Logar plays with Medo, who wandered into his garden in the Slovenian village of Podvrh


Medo, who takes his name from the Slovenian for bear, wandered into the garden of the Logar family four weeks ago. It is thought his mother abandoned him.

He's cute and cuddly - pictured here rolling about on a sofa, play-fighting with his adoptive father and hugging the family dog.

But come adulthood and the development of his natural instincts, it will be an entirely different matter.

It is for this reason that Medo the brown bear is at the centre of an extraordinary custody battle between the family that has taken him in and Slovenian animal experts.


Fans: Medo already has 550 supporters on a group dedicated to him on Facebook


The Logars are seeking permission to build an enclosure, on their land in the central Slovenian village of Podvrh, where the three-and-a-half month old will be able to live.

But the country's environment inspectors and vets have said it is too dangerous and are urging he be placed into a shelter for wild animals.


Cute and cuddly?: Medo is caught hugging the Logar family dog (left) and monkeying around in the trees (right)


Bearing up well: Matevz Logar looks on as Medo cheekily scampers across his car


Medo, who Slovenia's national newspapers have said has 'stolen the nation's hearts', now has more than 550 fans on Facebook.

Looking at these extraordinary photographs, it is easy to see why.

But it is also understandable that the authorities are exercising great caution with regards to Medo's future at Matevz Logar's home.


Hide and seek: Medo plays up to the camera during a photoshoot


In 2003 grizzly bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend were killed and eaten by one of the animals they were monitoring.

Treadwell spent 13 summers at Katmai National Park and Preserve, in Alaska, filming his subjects. Believing the bears trusted him, he would cosy up to them, thinking they were his friends.

German director Werner Herzog subsequently turned the footage into the 2005 film Grizzly Man, which scooped a host of awards including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Documentary and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Non-Fiction Film.


source: dailymail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Cheeky: The chipmunk pounced on Barbara Lynne's corn on the cob in her Ontario garden


This greedy chipmunk looks ready to explode as it stuffs its mouth - with a corn on the cob.

The cheeky chap pounced on the crop within minutes of photographer Barbara Lynne hanging it in her back garden for the birds.

It gorged as many corn kernells as possible, returned to its den to empty its pouches and then dashed back for another mouthful.

Within half an hour the wild Eastern Chipmunk had stripped the whole cob bare.

Barbara said the chipmunk has visited her garden in Ontario, Canada, for four years.

She said: 'We fastened the cob of corn to a snag in our backyard for the birds - or so we thought. I sat down to dinner and out of the corner of my eye noticed some movement on the corn.

'When I looked closer I saw the chipmunk was busy stuffing its cheeks with the kernels of fresh corn. I grabbed my camera and off I went to capture it for eternity.'


Hands up: An Eastern Chipmunk seen in the wild


She added: 'We call her Eleanor, however we are not sure whether she is male or female. Eleanor is always a pig and stuffs her cheeks until she looks ready to explode.

'She runs back to her den to empty her pouches - and starts stuffing them all over again. She is always entertaining to watch whether she stuffing her cheeks with corn, peanuts or sunflower seeds.

'She is quite tame although we don't feed her from our hands as we don't want her to think that all people will be as friendly toward wild animals as we are.'


source: dailymail

By RICHARD HARTLEY-PARKINSON

Their large eyes add to the cuteness of the slow lorises but there are fears the primates will soon become extinct


Their cuteness has made them an internet sensation. But ther popularity is now threatening their very survival.

Thanks to millions of hits on YouTube slow lorises have become a must-have pet - and are being plucked from their natural habitat in the rainforests of south-east Asia and traded for up to £3,500.

But what happens to them before they are 'customer ready' makes their plight even more distressing.

They have to have their teeth ripped out with nail clippers so that they don't cause an injury to their new owners.


The popular children's Furby toy has a striking resemblance to the slow loris. Student Richard Moore, left, is working on conservation research in Java on behalf of International Animal Rescue to help their survival


There is a global high protection order under endangered species conventions meaning they can't be transported to the UK but the black market is rife and it is feared that many are smuggled in.

The population of slow lorises has declined to the point that there are now fears over their survival and they could soon become extinct.

Two of the endangered primates were smuggled aboard a Brisbane-bound flight from Singapore but had to be put down by quarantine officers.

The crew on the Emirates flight found them in the cabin during the filght and when the plane landed in Australia customs officials took the animals.

A spokesman said: 'Slow lorises can carry several diseases... including rabies and they also have a bite that is toxic.'


Slow Loris Conservation in Java



Tickling Slow Loris


source: dailymail

By Emily Allen


Take that: A lioness leaps powerfully into the air in a bid to take down a kudu bull - but he is too agile for
her. Safari-goers captured the drama in a game reserve in South Africa's Eastern Cape


Four lions were left with their tails between their legs - and with empty stomachs - after a defenceless antelope escaped their clutches.

The agile kudu leapt to safety as the pride attempted to make it their lunch at a game reserve in South Africa's Eastern Cape.

Safari-goers recorded the failed attempt - but made a quick getaway when they realised the lions were probably quite peckish.


British safari boss Steve Bailey, who was leading the group of tourists, told the Mirror: 'Some of them were pretty shaken.'

The spectacular photos show the lion and three lionesses spying their kudu dinner in the distance and crouching ready for the attack.

In a menacing assault the four ambush the antelope and it appears that its minutes are numbered.

Looking for lunch: The lions crouch ready to spring as they spot the kudu in the distance

No going back: One of the lions rounds up the antelope as the others crouch in readiness for the attack


But the kill, which should have been easy, turns to chaos when the kudu springs more than six feet into the air, butting the lion which tries to grab her out of the way, clearing the pride and escaping.

The four are left to watch their tasty snack thunder off into the distance.

The spectacle proves that life in sub Saharan Africa for even the strongest of predators can sometimes get tough.

Power struggle: The lion strikes as the lionesses close in. It looks hopeless for the kudu


Against all the odds: The kudu leaps over the pride and breaks for freedom, leaving the lions behind as it thunders into the distance


Source:dailymail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Scientists have found that female butterflies keep their wings closed when they do not want male attention


When being chased by a man, women have a number of techniques to show they are simply not interested.

Now scientists have discovered that butterflies also have a tell-tale sign.

A team in Japan has found that females of the species closed their wings when they want to avoid unwanted male attention.

They say that by folding away the wings, which often have striking patterns, they are less visible to males.

The research was carried out by the Kurume Institute of Technology in Fukuora and published in the journal Ethology.

The head of the team, Jun-Ya Ide, noticed during analysis of small copper butterflies that they often closed their wings when others flew nearby.

He decided this required further investigation so used a male model to trigger a reaction in the females.


Female small copper butterflies only mate once during their lifetime


He at first believed that the closure of wings was used to avoid the harassment of males.

But as the small copper butterflies only have sex once in their entire life, he then used the model with females who had mated.

'When I brought the model close to a mated female, she often closed the wings,' he told BBC Nature.

He then tried with virgin females of the species and discovered that they left their wings open.

'I concluded that, since females don't need more copulations, they close their wings to conceal themselves,' Dr Ide added.

source: dailymail

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Deadly: The bag of king cobras was found under the seat on a train in Vietnam


Railway officials have discovered snakes on a train in Vietnam - highly venomous king cobras in bags under a seat.

Railroad official Pham Quynh says passengers were terrified when four cloth bags containing the writhing cobras were spotted on Friday.

The snakes were alive but had their mouths stitched shut.

The exact number of snakes was unclear but the bags weighed 100 pounds.

Security staff removed the cobras, which were thought to be destined for restaurants in Hanoi.

Their owner apparently escaped in the chaos.

Snake meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam, but cobras are protected by law.
The cobras were given to forest rangers who released them into the wild on Saturday after no one claimed them.


source: dailymail

By FIONA MACRAE

In the 1950s, gardens and hedgerows were home to around 30million hedgehogs (pictured: Erinaceus europaeus). Today, the figure could be less than a million


They are cherished by wildlife lovers across the country.

But hedgehogs have become increasingly rare in recent times.

So gardeners are now being urged to create ‘hedgehog highways’ in an attempt to stop one of Britain’s best-loved creatures from disappearing for ever.

Manicured gardens, road deaths, attacks by badgers and modern farming practices are blamed for hedgehog numbers plummeting.

In the 1950s, gardens and hedgerows were home to around 30million hedgehogs.
Today, the figure could be less than a million.

And conservation charities warn that unless urgent action is taken, the mammals could vanish from some parts of the UK by 2050.



They suggest homeowners interlink their gardens by removing a single brick from the bottom of a wall or cutting a hole in a fence – so creating a type of ‘hedgehog highway’, or thoroughfare.

This small action, they say, will aid the remaining hedgehogs on their nocturnal forages, which can see them covering up to a mile a night on the hunt for worms and other tasty titbits.

The Hedgehog Street campaign, launched today by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, is also appealing for enthusiastic gardeners to become ‘hedgehog champions’ and recruit their neighbours to the cause.

‘Twenty-three million households have access to a garden in the UK covering around 433,000 hectares (1 million acres).

‘Reaching a modest 0.1 per cent of these could lead to the creation of a hedgehog refuge larger than the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve.’


source: dailymail

By FIONA MACRAE

When fruit was thin on the trees, the gorillas gorged on protein-rich leaves, meaning that protein accounted for 30 per cent of their calories


Some might look like they could do with losing a few pounds, but it is unlikely your average gorilla has much idea about slimming.

That said, researchers have found a group of great apes are unwittingly following the Atkins diet.

A study shows that when fruit is scarce, mountain gorillas follow a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet, similar to the Atkins plan followed by slimmers worldwide.

When fruit is plentiful, their diet is still protein-rich, but is more similar to that recommended by heart charities for health.

The observation comes from researchers who spent a year watching gorillas at Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the Royal Society journal Biology Letters reports.



When fruit was thin on the trees, the gorillas gorged on protein-rich leaves, meaning that protein accounted for 30 per cent of their calories.

But between February and March and from June to July, when fruit was easy to find, protein made up just 16 per cent of their diet.

Jessica Rothman, of the City University of New York, said the balance during fruit periods was close to the current recommendations of the American Heart Association.

‘By contrast, when leaves dominated diets, 31 per cent of total energy is consumed as protein, a value close to the upper energy limit recommended for humans and similar to high-protein weight loss diets.’

The Atkins diet, which promoted swapping white bread and potatoes for fry-ups and steaks, was followed by millions.

However, it fell out of favour after being dogged by side-effects such as constipation and claims it could increase the risk of heart disease.


source: dailymail

By Daily Mail Reporter


Fur-m friends: The real-life Bambi and Thumper are inseparable


Meet the real-life Bambi and Thumper - a cute baby deer and a fluffy rabbit who have become absolutely inseparable.

The cute pair became best friends last June when Bambi was found cowering at the side of a busy major road aged just one day old.

Just like in the 1942 Walt Disney classic, poor little Bambi had lost her mother and was left all alone.

But motorist Svetlana Harper, 35, spotted her shivvering by the roadside, brought her home and nursed her back to full health.


Bambi soon started meeting the other animals at his new home, including Stasha the Alsation dog, but he quickly became best chums with rabbit Thumper.

Now the adorable pair play together, take naps at the same time and follow each other round all day - just like in Disney's cartoon.

Svetlana said: 'I was driving home at night and not far from my home I noticed something on the road - it was raining and visibility was low.

'So I slowed down and as I went to drive round it I suddenly saw a small cub in the road.

'I stopped and carefully got closer to the deer. It didn't move, and then I noticed the mum laying near the cub.

Cute: Bambi the rescued baby deer snuggles up to her new best friend


'The mum was dead and so would the cub have been if I didn't rescue it. I covered it with my jacket and drove it home.

'I warmed some milk and added an egg to try to feed Bambi but with no success. The rest of the night he slept with me on the sofa and I would try and feed him again.

Adopted family: Bambi plays with two more of her new animal pals


'By the end of the day he finally started to suckle milk from the bottle and felt better. He was following me everywhere - I was like his mum.'

Over the next few days the weather got better and a spring returned to the little cub who began bouncing around the house.

Soon he was ready to venture outside and start meeting his new pals around Svetlana's home in Montana, USA.

She added: 'He met all my dogs and rabbits and a few were very interested in Bambi.

My German-Shepherd Stasha likes all cubs and once even fed kittens who lost their mum.

'She started to care about Bambi and kept licking him and always laying down near him.

On-screen relationship: Disney's Bambi and Thumper in the classic 1942 cartoon


'But he was more interested in Ben, my rabbit who looks just like Thumper.

'They quickly became inseparable - it was very cute and made everyone laugh. We fed Bambi with milk and tried to leave him with Stasha as long as possible.

'All he wanted to do though was go and see Ben.'


source:dailymail

Tragic: British Divers Marine Life Rescue volunteers try to save a 44ft Sperm whale, which has now died after it was washed up on Redcar beach in Cleveland


Marooned in the middle of a British beach this beautiful creature could not be saved despite the crowds of people who tried to help him stay alive.

The 44ft sperm whale became beached because it got lost, a marine expert involved in the rescue bid said today.

The 20-tonne adult male was stranded on Redcar beach in Cleveland and reported to police at 6.10am, sparking a major operation to save it.


The giant mammal could not be rescued and dragged back into the sea


But Richard Ilderton, of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, who was called to the scene, said the North Sea was the wrong environment for such a large creature, and any attempt to refloat it - even if it was possible - would have been cruel.

The partially-submerged whale was pronounced dead shortly after 9am, despite firefighters keeping it wet with a jet.


Crowds gather around the 44ft sperm whale, which could not be saved


Mr Ilderton said: 'While we have whales in the North Sea, it is not a suitable environment for a sperm whale because the food supply is not there.

'It doesn't eat, it becomes malnourished, it becomes dehydrated because whales do not drink - they get their liquid from their food.


Lost: Experts believe the sperm whale became beached after getting lost in the North Sea


'It can cause all sorts of health problems and ultimately results in something like this happening.'

He said rescuers can refloat whales of up to five tonnes, but this specimen was four times heavier.

'If we were able to put the animal back out to sea, all we would be doing is putting it back out to starve, which is massively cruel and against what we want to do.

'Although it has died, this has been the better option.'

Hundreds of people came down to the beach to take in the spectacle.


Martin Unne, 58, from Thirsk in North Yorkshire, was among the many enjoying the half-term sunshine who came to see the whale after hearing about its plight on the radio.

'This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,' he said.
'It would be more interesting if it were still alive, so it is sad it is not.

'Nature is amazing.'

Steve Goldswain, responsible on Redcar and Cleveland Council for community protection, said cordons were put up as it could be a health hazard.

The whale will remain on the beach overnight, watched by security guards, before a post-mortem examination is carried out by zoologists tomorrow.

As well as the police, council, firefighters and rescue divers, the RSPCA and Coastguard were involved.

Mr Goldswain said: 'From an environmental perspective, we need to keep the beaches clear.

'Obviously a dead animal poses some health risks to the community and we need to minimise that risk.'


source: dailymail

Swanning along: This family of swans crossed the B4148 in the Erdington area of Birmingham when they decided to move from a nature reserve to the public park


Busy city dual carriageway brought to a standstill

Birds eventually lifted out of the traffic as drivers get angry


How does the swan cross the dual carriageway? Answer: very, very carefully and very, very slowly.

This family of swans brought traffic to a standstill when they decided to take a short cut across a main city centre road.

And despite wellwishers trying to lure mum, dad and their five cygnets across the busy road to safety they steadfastly refused to budge halfway into their crossing, sparking traffic mayhem.


Move along please: Well wishers try to move the birds along as cars snarl up on the daul carriageway at Erdington in Birmingham


The fluffy family made their way across the busy B4148 after they decided to relocate from Plantsbrook Nature Reserve to Pype Hayes Park.

But instead of making a beeline for their new home they stopped on the tarmac several times before moving on to the central reservation at Eachelhurst Road.

It was only after they had kept the traffic waiting for them to waddle on that passers-by were forced to take matters into their own hands.


Right wait here, I'll be back: The family stop mid crossing slap by the white lines in the middle of the road on the B4148 in Birmingham


Sandra Lee, 63, and her husband Michael, 71, of Erdington, Birmingham, tried to lure the birds across the road with bread and said drivers became frustrated and annoyed by the mounting delay.

Traffic was at a standstill on both lanes for more than ten minutes while the birds were encouraged to move.

Sandra said: 'We discovered the swans on the edge of the pavement. At first it looked like just the two of them but when the mother moved slightly, the babies came out from under her feathers.


Need a hand? The birds are moved by well wishers after they stop traffic as they tried to cross the busy dual carriageway in Erdington, Birmingham


source: dailymail