Open ... wide: The astonishing gathering of manta rays to feast on plankton

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Monsters of the deep: Swooping gracefully through the water like giant bats, these huge manta rays gather to feed on microscopic plankton Swooping gracefully through the water like giant bats, these huge manta rays gather to feed on microscopic plankton.These amazing pictures were taken by British photographer Warren Baverstock who spent nine days on the Maldives to capture these beautiful creatures.Up to 200 mantas gather in Hanifaru Bay which is just the size of a football pitch to feed and be cleaned of parasites by smaller fish. Swimming with giants: The pictures were taken by British photographer Warren Baverstock...

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The pony that can prance again: Horse born blind can see for the first time after vets perform ‘miracle’ £6,000 operation

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Sight and sound: Shire horse Mary Anne launches herself through her paddock after regaining her sightThis is the moment an endangered rare-breed shire horse regained her sight after six hours of pioneering veterinary surgery and became the first horse in Britain to undergo the ground-breaking operation.Shire foal, Mary Anne, faced being put down by vets after she was born unable to see.Owners Donald and Jane McIntyre were told that the mare was worthless and faced a miserable existence unable to negotiate even the easiest of obstacles.But the 62-year-old farmer and his 54-year-old wife from Bristol wouldn't give up on the...

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Gymnastic Mr Fox! Cubs sneak into garden to have a bounce on children's trampoline

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Boing! One of the fox cubs leaps into the air on a trampoline in a garden in Colorado, U.S., as his sibling watches on They're more used to bounding about, chasing each others' tails and steering clear of humans.But for these fox cubs, the chance to enjoy a bounce on a trampoline in a back garden was clearly too much to deter their natural caution.The two were captured on video playfighting in the garden of a home in Colorado, before curiosity got the better of them and they decided to investigate the trampoline. Outfoxed: But the cub hasn't quite got the hang of this bouncing lark as he sniffs suspiciously at the surface...

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The cat that's NOT afraid of the water: Meet the Siberian tiger who'll risk getting wet for food

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Fangs out: The tiger pounced after a hunk of meat was thrown towards himIt's a fearsome sight - enough to send a shudder down the spine of even the most foolhardy photographer.And this incredible photo of a 400lb Siberian tiger leaping out of a river shows the bigger beasts of the feline world are certainly not scaredy cats when it comes to food. Finnish photographer Arno Enzerink captured the magnificent moment during a wildlife close-up workshop at a U.S. game reserve in Kalispell, Montana. Terrifying: The Siberian tiger captured as he leaps out of the waterAt first glance it seems as if the tiger is worried about the...

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'My king cobras would never hurt me': Snake breeder dies after being bitten by deadly reptile he boasted would never turn on him

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Brave: Luke Yeomans bends down to kiss the snake on the head. He died after being bitten by one at home in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire A snake breeder who boasted that his snakes would never harm him has died after being attacked by one of his deadly cobras.Luke Yeomans, 47, suffered a heart attack after the snake bit him injecting its poisonous venom into his blood.In a recent interview, the conservationist with 30 years experience insisted the reptiles would never harm him. He was even pictured bending down to kiss one king cobra on the back of the head. The snake breeder - dubbed the local 'Steve Irwin' after the Australian...

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The incredible X-ray that showed how cat named Hope survives being blasted by THIRTY airgun pellets

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Evidence: The vet's X-ray shows Hope's body filled with the bulletsA cat called Hope has miraculously survived being blasted by around 30 airgun pellets, during a wave of senseless shootings across the UK.The RSPCA has launched a hunt for the evil shooter and has released X-rays of some of the pellets inside Hope's body.Hope's owner found her bleeding and near to death in Great Walsingham, Norfolk, and at first it was thought she'd been attacked by a dog because her body was ripped and torn.But when she was transferred to the All Creature Healthcare centre in Norwich, X-rays showed that she had been peppered by around 30...

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The snake with a sssplit personality: Meet the python born with two heads

By DAILY MAIL REPORTERTwice the bite: This python regius, or ball python, was born with two heads in Villingen-Schwennigen, Germany This is one snake who is likely to be more than a little snappy if provoked.The mutant black and gold python regius - royal python or ball python - was born in Villingen-Schwenningen, southern Germany, with two heads. Which way next? The one-year-old snake is now 20in long and appears to be coping well with its mutationSnake breeder Stefan Broghammer said the slippery customer is around one years old and has grown to around 20 inches.He said the creature is only the second python known to be born with two heads.The...

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Hide 'n' peek! The damselfly who thought he was hidden... but was given away by his bug eyes

By DAILY MAIL REPORTERPeek-a-bug: This little Damselfly was caught hiding behind a blade of grass in Fordwich Lakes, near KentThis little damselfly thought it was cleverly hiding behind a blade of grass at a British lake, but didn’t realise its big bug eyes gave away its disguise.The tiny insect concealed its two-inch body and transparent wings by clinging onto the grass with its black legs.But instead of being incognito, photographer Tony Flashman captured the common blue damselfly’s piercing eyes with his camera at Fordwich Lakes, near Kent. Mr Flashman crawled around the lake’s meadows at 5am to try and photograph the flies before they become...

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A guy and his gorilla: Huge beast treated like one of the family by zoo owner

By Emily AllenBig love: Pierre Thivillon, owner of the zoo of Saint-Martin-la-Plaine, gets a kiss from adopted gorilla DigitTo describe your child as a gorilla is a bit rude to say the least.But for French zoologists Pierre and Elaine Thivillon, who own a zoo in Saint-Martin la-Plaine near Lyon, this is exactly what their 'little one' is.They have fostered a gorilla called Digit who was rejected by her mother and they now treat her as their own.Right at home: Pierre and Elaine Thivillon pose with Digit at their bedroom window In these adorable pictures she is pictured spending time with her 'parents' and even giving her 'father' a loving peck...

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Could this moody moggy be Britain's grumpiest cat? Bad tempered Mr Pip scowls for his close-up

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Do not disturb: Mr Pip glowers from the doorway to his little iglooCould this moody moggy be Britain's grumpiest cat?Scowling at the camera with more than hint of discontentment, this irritable puss is constantly in a grump.According to his owner, Rose Oughton, Mr Pip does not like noise, bad weather and especially hates football. The Persian Burmese breed's favourite past-time is 'staring at dogs' and sitting quietly in his favourite bush in the back garden.But even when he's at his happiest, you wouldn't think it to look at the sour-faced feline.Mrs Oughton, 65, from Kings Lynn, Norfolk, a part-time dinner lady and cleaner,...

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Flipper meets trout pout: Sharon Osbourne gets up close and personal with a dolphin during Hawaiian holiday

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Kissy: Sharon Osbourne takes a dip and gets a smooch from a dolphin whilst on holiday in Hawaii with her daughter KellyShe has long been known as a lover of animals having famously paraded her menagerie and pack of dogs on her reality show The Osbournes.But TV host Sharon Osbourne, who has been outspoken about her surgically enhanced face, recently got well acquainted with a different sort of beast as she joined daughter Aimee on a dolphin experience during their Hawaiian vacation. X Factor judge Sharon, 58, took to the water to swim and play with the amphibious mammals even planting a big kiss on the nose of one lucky...

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Two horses drown and two die from shock after being attacked by angry swarm of bees

By Richard Hartley-parkinsonThe four horses are believed to have been attacked by a swarm of bees before two drowned and another two suffered from anaphylactic shockFour horses have died after they were attacked by an angry swarm of bees.Two of them are believed to have suffered from anaphylactic shock and heart failure while the other pair drowned in a pond as they tried to run away from the insects in Nutley, East Sussex.Owner Anne Gerrard kept the hives in a field near her paddocks and said she was devastated by what had happened.'It is absolutely heartbreaking. It has been ghastly,' she said. 'We have had the Beekeepers Society here and they...

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Mirror image: Kingfisher barely causes a ripple as he dives into the water

By Daily Mail ReporterSeeing double: The kingfisher produced a perfect mirror image when it dived headfirst into the River Alde in Suffolk Diving effortlessly head first in to the water, this kingfisher appears to become two as its reflection is revealed in breathtaking detail.Photogapher Paul Sawer spent five weeks watching a family of Britain's most fascinating birds at the River Alde in Rendham, Suffolk.The 39-year-old captured this extraordinary sight after setting up a glass tank full of fish in the water to attract the birds, with their images reflected in the glass as they dived into the river.His shot shows the kingfisher's reflection...

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I've caught ... a shark! Angler reels in 170lb monster off Pembrokeshire coast

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Catch of the day: Wayne Little (right) poses with the 170lb blue shark before releasing it back into the sea An angler has caught one of the most lethal shark species known to man after the fish arrived in their hundreds in British waters.Wayne Little, 42, hauled in the 8ft blue shark off the holiday beaches near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, last week.Mr Little's catch came just months after he hooked in another blue shark which was so big it would have broken a British record had he not thrown it back in the water. He used mackerel bait to entice the blue shark, one of many species which are believed to have been drawn...

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Sergeant who left police dogs to die in hot car slashes wrists in 'suicide bid' after throwing himself from colleague's car

By CHRIS GREENWOODSlashed his wrists: Met Police Dog trainer Sergeant Ian Craven apparently attempted suicide after two dogs died in his care A police dog handler whose two animals died in his car on the hottest days of the year threw himself from a colleague's vehicle after the incident.Sergeant Ian Craven, 49, flung himself from the car and later slashed his wrists in an apparent suicide attempt after learning of their deaths.The officer, who is now being investigated, was found in Newham, east London, and was today still receiving medical treatment for his injuries. Sgt Craven, who faces prosecution for animal cruelty, left the two police...

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