Couple who kept 56 malnourished and disease-ridden dogs in tiny back garden

By Richard Hartley-parkinson Some of the 56 dogs that James and Nicola Hood kept in their back garden in terrible conditions A couple admitted neglect yesterday for keeping 56 dogs in the back garden of their semi-detached home. Animal welfare officers found 69 animals - including 56 dogs, six birds, three cats and four chinchillas - at the family home of James Hood, 40, and wife Nicola, 31. The couple - who also have five children including a nine-month-old baby - admitted keeping the malnourished and disease-ridden pets in filthy conditions. The Hood couple appeared at Taunton Magistrates' Court yesterday where they admitted neglect They...

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Meet the new Knut: Zoo crowds wowed by tragic polar bear’s sister who (whisper it) could be even cuter

By Allan Hall Cute as a button: Polar bear cub Anori explores her open-air enclosure at Wuppertal Zoo in Germany The half-sister of late celebrity polar bear Knut made her debut in Germany this week - and she may have even more star quality than him. Anori has the same father but a different mother to the troubled Knut who collapsed and died from a brain tumour aged just four a year ago. Unlike Knut, she was not abandoned at birth by her mother but appeared in public with her at Wuppertal Zoo. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Little adventurer: Anori is dwarfed by a log as she struggles to clamber over it Anori was born on January 4 to Knut's...

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Not just incredibly cute: Rarer than the white rhino or giant panda, meet the litters of British Otterhounds, which could have saved the breed

By Rachel Rickard Straus Britain’s rarest breed of dog - which is more endangered than the giant panda and the white rhino - could have been saved after 19 puppies were born this month. Just 20 British Otterhounds were born in the UK during the whole of last year so the arrival of the pups - born into two litters to owner Maria Lerego in Ledbury, Herefordshire, - has provided a vital lifeline to the dying breed. There are less than 1,000 Otterhounds left in the world and about 300 of those are in Britain. Boost: Nineteen Otterhound puppies were born this month in the UK The numbers are far less than the 2,000 or so giant pandas left in...

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Hands off my banana! Grumpy gorilla mum finds favourite fruit too irresistible to share with baby son

He may be one of Ireland's most famous residents, and he might be about to celebrate his first birthday - but that doesn't mean Kituba the baby gorilla always gets his way. As these pictures from Dublin Zoo show, the infant was left frustrated after he tried to grab a banana from his mother Lena - who made sure she got to enjoy the snack herself. The stern mother was obviously in no mood for any monkey business and even struck a threatening pose for the cameras after devouring the treat. Out of reach: Kituba tries to get his hands on the banana, but mum Lena shows him who's boss The pair are residents of Dublin Zoo's Gorilla Rainforest,...

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I've got four legs... and an udder two! Lilli the six-limbed cow defies the odds to join her pals on Alpine pastures

By Jill Reilly Fighting fit: Lilli, has defied the odds by thriving despite a vet's prediction at birth that she wouldn't survive Being born with two extra legs may not the best start in life for a cow, but Lilii, the six-legged calf, refuses to be cowed into hiding away because of her disability. The plucky seven-week-old has defied the odds by thriving despite a vet's prediction at birth that it wouldn't survive. She has now gone on to become a minor celebrity after Swiss media splashed with images of the calf frolicking across a sunny field. Lucky: Farmer Andreas Knutti said he couldn't bring himself to euthanize the animal because...

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Welcome, home soldier! Chuck the boxer dog goes crazy when he sees his master return after eight months away at war… AGAIN

By Hannah Rand Chuck the boxer is fast becoming an internet star after the second video of him ecstatically greeting his soldier owner becomes a YouTube hit. With nearly 1,600,000 views since it was posted on March 22, the big brown and white hound seems to sum up how we'd all like to receive a loved one. The video begins with the loveable pup in the trunk of a SUV. Scroll down to watch the videos Doggone devoted: Lovable Chuck waits to see his master, Nick, after a long, eight month absence The vehicle's license plate begins with BB, indicating that the location is near Böblingen - a German town near the European headquarters for the...

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Home sweet home! Building work starts on a new jungle house in Borneo for rescued orangutan Mely and her pals

-Mely was snatched from her mother 16 years ago and shackled in chains until her rescue in 2009 -Now the home that will be Mely's until the day she dies is taking shape and will be ready for her to move into later this year By Allan Hall This is the house that compassion is building - a sanctuary for an Mely, the orangutan, who has endured year of abuse until her rescue in 2009. After her plight was made public, thousands of pounds were donated by Mail readers to help the stricken animal. One animal lover even donated a massive £500,000 gift which ensured that Mely will never again know want, fear or suffering. The anonymous donor...

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Will that be a jumbo latte, miss? Moment 'Baby' the elephant went on the rampage outside Costa coffee in Cork

By Chris Parsons On the loose: Baby the Asian elephant wanders near to parked cars in Blackpool, County Cork as her handlers struggle to restrain her A 2.5-tonne circus elephant caused havoc after escaping her handlers are going on the run through a busy shopping centre car park. Shoppers in Blackpool, County Cork, Ireland, were stunned to see Asian elephant Baby charging through the town's retail park after apparently fleeing from her circus home just yards away. The 40-year-old elephant somehow wandered free from the circus in Blackpool to a busy retail park filled with cars and shoppers on Tuesday afternoon. Stop that elephant: Baby...

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