Hamstand: 'Gymnast' piglet born without hind legs learns to walk on two front trotters

By Daily Mail ReporterHogging the limelight: The piglet carefully balances itself while walking on its two front legsA two-legged pig born without its hind legs has amazingly been taught to walk on its own.The handicapped beast was born in July in eastern China's Anhui Province and could have struggled to make it through its first few weeks as a piglet, according to its owner.But farmer Ge Xinping said he managed to nurse the piglet through its early life before helping it stand on its own (and only) two feet.Farmer Ge Xinping gives the piglet a helping hand at the farm in China's Anhui ProvinceHe has now managed to coax the unnamed young creature...

Read more »

The five-week-old baby elephant who just loves being stuck in the mud

By James WhiteScroll down for videoOops! The tiny elephant baby falls over and struggles to get to its feet under its mother's legsIt appears to be a tiring and futile battle for this newborn baby elephant to stay on its four unsteady feet.But look a little closer and it appears the youngster is enjoying its apparent misfortune, returning to the same spot over and over again.Video of the animal staggering to his feet was captured by amused keepers at Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire.Still down: The five-week-old rolls around in the mud at Whipsnade Zoo in BedfordshireThe five-week-old Asian elephant can be seen slipping in the mud under the towering...

Read more »

She's not for the chop: Tinsel the turkey survives being hurled from a moving lorry – and then falls in love with a DEER

By Jessica SatherleyThe look of love: Tinsel, the Turkey and her friend Bramble the Roe Deer who have become the best of friends at a Warwickshire Wildlife SanctuaryBritain's luckiest turkey has been saved from the chop this Christmas after falling in love with a deer.Plucky bird Tinsel was rescued after she was thrown on to the motorway from a moving lorry.She was nursed back to health and has now fallen head over claws for a rescued Roe Deer called Bramble.The pair were brought to the Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary and are now ‘inseparable’.Tinsel even gives Bramble a ‘peck’ on the cheek before they go to sleep at night.Sanctuary...

Read more »

Tear-jerking moment lab beagles see sunlight for the first time as they are released from cages

By Wil LongbottomFreedom: This male beagle takes a tentative step outside his cage for the first time in his life after he was freed from laboratory testingThis is the heart-breaking moment male beagles kept in captivity inside a laboratory were released from their cages for the first time.Scared and visibly unsure of leaving the confines of their cages, the dogs were among many being used for lab testing in Spain before it went out of business.A total of 72 beagles were rescued by members of Animal Rescue Media Education (ARME) during the operation - most of whom had never been outside their cages.Terrified: The face of this beagle says it all...

Read more »

Feline festive? Musical cats strike a chord in 2012 calendar

By Nadia GilaniYou've got to be kitten: Two cats strum out a tune on electrical guitars in a make-shift studio with an amplifierThese tow-tapping felines look like they are getting into the party spirit in a calendar that will make the purr-fect Christmas present for any cat lover. Musical Moggs shows several cats getting into their groove as they turn their paws to playing a selection of different instruments. In one picture, a pair of cool cats appear to be having a musical jam as they rock it out together on electric guitars. Up to scratch? These three cool cats seem to have plenty of puffAnother picture shows them turn to brass as they pump...

Read more »

Bubbled-up! Video of baby laughing hysterically as her pet dog tries to catch bubbles in the air becomes a YouTube hit

By Simon TomlinsonScroll down for the videoBursting onto the scene: Bennie, the German Shepherd, catches bubbles to the delight of baby Molly in the clip which has gone viralA baby laughs infectiously as her pet dog pops bubbles in a clip that has become an internet sensation.The nine-month-old tot begins by looking inquisitively at her mother who is holding a bubble gun from behind the camera.Then, as she fires it, their dog comes bounding into the picture feverishly bursting the bubbles with its mouth, much to the youngster's hysterics.Infectious: Molly creases up with laughter as Bennie waits for the next round of bubbles to be fired from...

Read more »

Let's get outta here! Impatient labradoodle honks the horn to tell his family it's time to go

By Mike O'brienScroll down for videoNow hear this: The angry labradoodle repeatedly hits the horn They say labradoodles are both intelligent and unpredictable ... and this pet pooch seems to fit the bill.On an outing with the family he managed to make his feelings quite clear.He was stuck in the car while mom, dad, the children and others got out to get a breath of fresh air.Patience is a virtue, but suddenly his ran out.Beckoning the family to 'get in and get outta here,' the 18-month-old pup simultaneously honked the car's horn and barked.He can hardly be blamed - tensions can run high during the family car ride season.Party Pippa and the £400,000...

Read more »

Oskar vs the world: Touching videos of a playful kitten born without eyes

By Richard Hartley-parkinsonScroll down to see some of Oskar's videosIntrigue: Oskar the cat has all the interest of a regular cat and plays with a ball despite not being able to see itThese touching images and videos show that it is possible to have a life despite not having the power of sight... even when you're a cat.This blind feline is just as mischievous, playful and loving as any regular cat.Oskar has become a hit online and has already attracted almost 3million views on YouTube since his first upload in mid-October.His capers include an argument with a hair dryer, fascination with bell-filled balls and climbing his owner to get to his...

Read more »

Room for two more little ones? Four and 20 freezing swallows huddle up on a single brrrranch

By Richard Hartley-parkinsonStay close: As they battle the elements of a Canadian snowstorm, these 24 swallows huddle to keep warmLike the hilarious Pixar animation 'for the birds', these swallows huddle together to shelter from the cold.But, instead of pecking the feet of a larger bird until the wire twangs, these little creatures are snuggling up against the harsh winter weather along the Yukon River in Canada.Struggling to stay warm as temperatures plummet below freezing in a bitter snow storm, they clamour onto a single branch to conserve heat. And because of their ingenuity, every single one of them survived. They were pictured on a tree...

Read more »

Loneliest seal in the world, shunned by her colony for being ginger, is now the centre of attention at Russian zoo... and loving it

By Will StewartStar attraction: Happy in her new home at the Akvatoria 'dolphinarium' in Russia, ginger seal Nafanya is quickly becoming a hit with touristsThings are looking up for the little ginger-coloured seal pup whose fate touched the world after being rejected by the rest of its sleek black family. Left as an outcast, the vulnerable creature was found huddling under a pile of logs on Tyuleniy Island in the far east of Russia.Photographer Anatoly Strakhov, 61, took heartbreaking pictures of the world's loneliest seal, which would have been unable to survive in the wild. Heartbreaker: Anatoly Strakhov's shot of the shunned seal melted the...

Read more »

Hey, watch where you're going! Brave (or crazy) snorkeller plays chicken with a sperm whale in the Caribbean

By DAILY MAIL REPORTERUp close and personal: A lucky snorkeller takes whale-watching to a new level by nudging heads. The amazing photo was taken of Dominica in the CaribbeanIf you're planning to go head-to-head with a sea creature, it's probably best to start small.Only the very brave, or very stupid, would begin a headbutting competition with a 50-ton sperm whale... after all, its head is one third of its overall size.Nevertheless, here are pictures of a snorkeller doing just that - swimming with his head down right up to a massive whale.Swimming with giants: The whales, attracted to the area because of the unique feeding opportunity, put on...

Read more »