An elephant named Lucky, 12, entertains visitors

An elephant named Lucky, 12, entertains visitors during a show at a wildlife rescue center of Phnom Tamao zoo in Tro Pang Sap village, Takeo provice, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Phnom Penh Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, March 13, 2011. Cambodian visitors watch an elephant named Lucky, 12, at a wildlife rescue center in Tro Pang Sap village, Takeo provice, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Phnom Penh Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, March 13, 2011.A Cambodian boy is carried by an elephant named Lucky, 12, during its weekend performance for visitors at a wildlife rescue center in Tro Pang Sap village, Takeo provice, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) southeast of Phnom Penh Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, March 13, 2011.source: Daylife...

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PE teacher tells headmaster: 'I can't come in to work... I've been bitten by a CROCODILE'

By Daily Mail ReporterMr Brand shows off his arm bite from the reptile in his native Zimbabwe after he had gone 'crocodile wrestling' A PE teacher phoned his headmaster to tell him that he couldn't make it into school because he had been bitten by a crocodile.Scott Brand, phoned school chiefs at the £9,630-a-term at the Cumnor House School in Haywards Heath in West Sussex, to say he 'needed a few days off' after the croc sunk its teeth into his left arm while he was on holiday.The 21-year-old said the razor-toothed reptile had struck in his native Zimbabwe after he and his friends had gone 'crocodile wrestling' after a 'few beers'.He told school chiefs that he couldn't come in, adding: ‘Sorry, I've been bitten by a crocodile.’The teacher -...

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Incredible swarms of fish form off coast of Acapulco: But was surge caused by tsunami thousands of miles away?

By Daily Mail ReporterA man photographs a shoal of sardines off the shore of Acapulco The shores of Acapulco's beaches were this weekend teeming with masses of fish packed so tightly they looked like an oil slick from above. Thousands of sardines, anchovies, stripped bass and mackerel surged along the coast of the Mexican resort in an event believed to be linked to the devastating Japanese tsunami. Delighted fishermen rushed out in wooden motor boats, abandoning their rods and nets and simply scooping the fish up with buckets.Fishermen flocked to the water to take advantage of the surgeSome experts believe the phenomenon is directly related to the Japanese tsunami 'There were about 20 or 30 fishermen and there were people who came with their...

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Don’t blink! Britain’s smallest owls make their home on West Country farm

By Daily Mail ReporterWary: The owls only emerge from their hiding place in the farm's silage one at a time to search for foodVisitors to this West Country farm were unable to shake the feeling that they were being watched. Then a wildlife enthusiast noticed Britain's smallest owls have set up home the silage bales.The tiny birds, part of a species called Little Owls, have made their home in black plastic covered bales left on a farm outside Winford, near Bristol, Somerset.They sit on the bales and watch the animals and people go about their farmyard business.Nature photographer, Ian Wade, 35, from Bristol was delighted by his first encounter with the creatures when he visited family friends who own the farm.'It was quite weird. As soon as...

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Dog owners 'are healthier than people without pets'

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Walk on the wild side: Dog owners were found to be more active overall Man's best friend may be more than just a faithful companion.A new study has revealed dog owners are more likely to reach recommended fitness levels than people without a pet.Researchers say people who own and walk their dogs regularly are 34 per cent more likely to hit exercise targets.The results, said study co-author Mathew Reeves, from Michigan State University, show that promoting dog ownership and dog walking could help many people become healthier. Using data from the Michigan Department of Community Health, researchers found that not only did owning and walking a dog affect the amount of walking a person does but also that dog walkers were...

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Two legs good, six legs better! Chihuahua triplets adapt to life without front paws

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Kensi, Hetti and G are Chihuahua triplets who were born without their front legs but are adapting to life on two legs They may be the cutest things on six legs.And these 10-week-old Chihuahua triplets are ready for a good home.Foster careworkers are currently working with the Methuen, Massachusetts MSPCA who are looking after the puppies that were born without front legs. Adapting: The puppies were said to be showing tremendous resilience and enthusiasm despite their disability and may be candidates for wheeled cartsKensi, Hetty and G were not only born disabled, but soon after their birth their owner died, leaving them homeless.Staff have confirmed that the puppies are adapting to life without front legs and are potential...

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Saved from a grizzly end: Mother bear rescues cub from attack by angry male

By Daily Mail ReporterOn the attack: The male grizzly, which photographer Jim Abernathy named Secretariat, turned on bear cub Spice while his mother was out fishingThis ferocious bear wanted to make a meal of these little cubs - until their mother declared war and sent him packing.Shown in this amazing sequence of pictures, the giant male can be seen catching a helpless cub, wrestling him in the water and biting him to within an inch of his life.But when the bully bear heard the mother's roar there was only one winner.Wildlife photographer, Jim Abernethy, 52, from Florida, travelled to the Katmai National Park in Alaska to photograph the grizzly bear packs that roam freely on the shore. Following the movements of one mother and her two cubs,...

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Health Checking, six gorillas

Members of the Veterinary Services Department within the Chicago Zoological Society examine Binti Jua, a 22-year-old female western lowland gorilla, as the team performs physicals on two of the Brookfield Zoo's six gorillas, Thursday, March 10, 2011, in Brookfield, Ill. During the physicals performed every couple of years, the team draws blood to test cholesterol, metabolism, kidney and liver functions, performs dental and eye exams, takes radiographs of the chest and abdomen, and the team also does a cardiac ultrasound. Members of the Veterinary Services Department within the Chicago Zoological Society examine the teeth of Binti Jua, a 22-year-old female western lowland gorilla in an examination roomMembers of the Veterinary Services Department...

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A female Queensland joey koala clings to its mother Zakary

A female Queensland joey koala clings to its mother Zakary Thursday, March 10, 2011, at the San Francisco Zoo. This is the first koala birth at the SF Zoo since 2000. The new joey began to emerge from her pouch in January. She will make her public debut at the zoo next week. San Francisco Zoo animal keeper Heather Givner holds Zakary, a Queensland koala and her female joey as they are introduced to the media Thursday, March 10, 2011, in San Francisco. This is the first koala birth at the zoo since 2000. The new joey began to emerge from her pouch in January. She will make her public debut at the zoo next week.A female Queensland joey koala rests on its mother Zakary Thursday, March 10, 2011, in San Francisco. This is the first koala birth at...

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Legs eleven? No, just nine for the mother bird keeping her little chicks warm

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Birds of a feather: The piping plover parent provides warmth for its four chicksAre you pulling my leg? This bird got a photographer twitching with excitement when it went for a walk on the beach.At one point, the piping plover looked like it had a staggering nine legs as it took its four newborn chicks under its wing to keep them warm.It would have 'had' ten limbs but one was obscured by the others. The chicks are able to walk and feed themselves within a few hours of hatching but they have to huddle together for the first week to keep warm. They can fly after one month.Photographer Michael Milicia, 53, snapped away as the young shorebirds hid from view at Sandy Point State Reservation in Massachusetts in the U.S.The...

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The secret of how kangaroos bounce revealed by 'Lord of the Rings' infrared technology

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Captured: Reflections from small markers on the kangaroo are used in motion-capture to record movement Hollywood technology used to bring Gollum to the screen in the Lord of the Rings blockbusters has been used by scientists to understand how kangaroos bounce.Experts have been puzzled as to how the animals - especially when they become larger - are able to attain high speeds without breaking their bones.But by using motion-capture technology, which records and analyses information from markers stuck on to the body, and infrared lights which illuminate the animals, they have been able to track their motion and force. Motion: Infrared technology illuminate the subject and help researchers track the kangaroo's bounceThe...

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On the pull: The Crufts dog with an eye for the ladies (who don't mind a bit of dribble)

By DAILY MAIL REPORTERLooking for attention: A Dogue de Bordeaux keeps a keen eye out for da lady dogs at Crufts in Birmingham. Is that bib an atttempt to catch the enormous amount of saliva he produces?Thousands of dogs and their owners have turned out for the first day of the annual Crufts dog show, which is celebrating its 120th anniversary.Around 28,000 dogs are set to compete in various categories during the four-day show, held at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre. Dogs which helped save lives in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake and the 7/7 London bombings are among those competing for the prestigious Friends for Life award. Ow, easy does it mate: A Dogue de Bordeaux has his teeth cleaned during a demonstration by a vet. But...

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Government gives up fight to stop caterpillars that can trigger severe asthma attacks from invading Britain

By David Derbyshire-Oak processionary moth is concentrated in London and could affect 2012 Olympics if trees suffer infestationPest: Ministers say there is no longer any point trying to eradicate the oak processionary moth, a toxic caterpillar whose hairs can trigger asthma attacksThe Government has abandoned its battle to stop an invasive and potentially deadly caterpillar from setting up home in the UK, it emerged yesterday.After a futile five-year struggle, ministers say there is no longer any point trying to eradicate the oak processionary moth, a toxic pest whose hairs can trigger severe asthma attacks.Instead, it will try to restrict the alien invader to its stronghold in London and the south-east.The U-turn has angered wildlife experts...

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