Monkeys trained to move and feel through thought in study that could help paralysed patients

By PRESS ASSOCIATION REPORTER

Two rhesus monkeys learned to operate a virtual arm with their brain power - It was the first ever demonstration of a primate brain operating a machine

Monkeys have been trained to move and feel virtual objects using thought alone in a scientific breakthrough that could help paralysed patients.

Two rhesus monkeys learned to operate a virtual arm with their brain power and were able to differentiate between the textures of virtual objects.

It is hoped this could pave the way for the development of a "robotic exoskeleton" to be worn by severely paralysed people, helping them move and experience the world around them using brainwaves, the senior author of the American study said.


Without moving any part of their real bodies the two monkeys used their electrical brain activity to direct the virtual hands of a computer character

Miguel Nicolelis, co-director of the Duke University Centre for Neuroengineering in Durham, North Carolina, said: "Someday in the near future, quadriplegic patients will take advantage of this technology not only to move their arms and hands and to walk again, but also to sense the texture of objects placed in their hands, or experience the nuances of the terrain on which they stroll with the help of a wearable robotic exoskeleton."


The virtual hands were then used to explore the surface of three virtual objects

The electrical brain activity of the two rhesus monkeys trained at the centre was used to direct the hands of a virtual monkey shown on a screen - without them moving any part of their real bodies.

The virtual hands were then used to explore the surface of three virtual objects, which looked the same but had been designed to have different textures, which were expressed as tiny electrical signals sent back to the monkeys' brains.


It is hoped this could pave the way for the development of a 'robotic exoskeleton' to be worn by severely paralysed people (picture posed by model)

Professor Nicolelis added: "The remarkable success with non-human primates is what makes us believe that humans could accomplish the same task much more easily in the near future."


The monkeys taught to use the virtual arm were rhesus monkeys (library image of that species)


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Bored girlfriend who only took up fishing to spend more time with her man smashes his record catch with a 215lb catfish

By Emily Allen


Delight! Alexa Turness, 28, pictured holding the huge fish she hooked while on holiday in Spain after battling to reel it in for half an hour. It was later released back into the water

When you go on holiday with your long-time angling boyfriend it is perhaps not a good idea to show him up.

But Alexa Turness managed it in dramatic style when she became a record holder after reeling in a 215lbs catfish.

She managed to outdo boyfriend Kim Hamilton who could only muster a fish weighing 189lbs.

The 28-year-old, who only took up fishing to see more of her boyfriend, hooked the catch while on holiday in Spain after battling to reel it in for half an hour.


The catfish was more than 1.5 times her weight and at 8ft 4in, stretched longer than the length of her body.

It was so big her boyfriend and tour guides feared she might get dragged into the river, and stood guard to catch her as she reeled it in.

It is the biggest freshwater fish ever caught by a British woman anywhere in the world and beat the previous record by just one pound.

The pair were spending a week with Catfish Tours on the River Segre in northern Spain and caught the fish on the third day.

Whopper: Alexa with the fish which was more than 1.5 times her weight and at 8ft 4in, stretched longer than her entire body

Miss Turness, an events director from Holland Park, west London, said: 'My boyfriend is really into fishing so when we got together seven or eight years ago I got into it too.

'It was a case of go fishing with him or don't see him. I wouldn't say I'm a specialist by any means and I don't know as much as my boyfriend.

'But it's amazing how easy it is when you have the right guides who know exactly where the fish are. It was about 11.30 at night when my rod started to go - I just had to hold on for my life.

'The fish kept going and going and going and the moment it stopped I started to try and reel it in. I weigh about ten-and-a-half stone and I was pulling so hard my back was almost on the floor.

'It took about 30 minutes, but I wasn't going to give up without a fight and eventually managed to bring it in.

Heave! The fish was so big Alexa's boyfriend and tour guides feared she might get dragged into the river, and stood guard to catch her as she reeled it in, pictured

'I was amazed when I saw how big it was. The guys weighed it for me and told me it was 215lbs. It's incredible to think I now hold the record.

'My boyfriend is quite gutted. We took it in turns on the rods, so this just happened to be my turn and I got the biggest fish of the holiday.'

After posing for a photo with her catch Miss Turness, whose holiday was organised by Catfish Tours, returned the fish to the water safe and well.

The couple celebrated her achievement with a glass of Spanish brandy on the river bank.

Mr Hamilton, 28, said: 'We were all going to sleep when the suddenly the bells jingled and we heard the line stripping from the spool and we knew it was going to be a monster.


Record breaker: The fish is the biggest freshwater fish ever caught by a British woman in the world. Miss Turness outdid boyfriend Kim Hamilton, pictured, who could only muster a fish weighing 189lbs during the trip

'All we could say was 'fish, fish, fish' and of course it was Lex's turn on the rod - just luck of the draw. The fish was going mental, the drag was as tight as it could be without causing a problem.

'We were all stood around Lex ready to catch her in case the monster pulled her in.

'It was an amazing, crazy night, but now I have to accept that my missus has a bigger one than me - and that's hard to take.'

Dan Bennet, the 24-year-old guide at Catfish Tours, said: 'It's a massive achievement, she's done really well.

'The fish fought her every step of the way, all the way to the bank - she was literally exhausted by the time it had been landed.

'It's very physically demanding and she's not exactly a big girl so she's done brilliantly.

'Her and her boyfriend are both really keen anglers and it's nice to see a couple share their interests like that.'

The previous record for the biggest freshwater fish caught by a British woman was held by grandmother Sheila Penfold, 56, from Wandsworth, south London, who caught a 214lbs catfish in Spain last year.


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Unshakeable courage of the real War Horses: The eight million forgotten animals who were killed on the frontline

By Robert Hardman


A lone horse stands faithfully over the corpse of its rider who lies face down, hands still clasped to the animal’s reins.

How long did the poor creature stay there? Did the horse suffer a similar fate to its rider?

Elsewhere, another horse is up to its muzzle in mud as it heaves a cart on the Western Front.

Poignant vigil: A cavalry horse stands over the body of its rider - from the book The War Horses, which shows the reality behind the animals forgotten in World War I

They are images which remind us of the crucial role played by the forgotten warriors of World War I — the four-legged ones.

They are also images which run counter to the statistics. A horse was actually more likely to die than its rider.

While ten million men would be killed in the carnage of World War I, the casualty rate was proportionately considerably higher among the warhorses — of which some eight million perished on all sides.

Of the one million horses which left Britain for the Western Front, just 60,000 returned.

And even those animals might never have made it home had it not been for a vigorous campaign by charities and the Press to save them from French and Belgian abbattoirs.

Weighed down: A supply cart and one of its horses sink into the deadly mud

Fighting trim: This grey is equipped to carry a Vickers machine-gun

A few months from now, cinemas worldwide will be packed for Steven Spielberg’s long-awaited film of Michael Morpurgo’s bestseller, War Horse.

The first official trailer for the film has been released, and it’s already generating talk of Oscars.

The stage version, meanwhile, has been breaking West End records since it opened in 2007 (the Queen dropped in unannounced in 2009), and is now enjoying similar success on Broadway.

But a powerful and haunting new book tells the true story of what happened to the real four-legged troops. And there isn’t much of a happy ending in The War Horses.

As author Simon Butler explains, this was not just ‘the first and last global conflict in which the horse played a vital role’, but also a war which changed the entire relationship between society and the horse.

A nation which had depended on domestic horsepower up until 1914 suddenly lost its workhorses to the front and had to find mechanised alternatives. By 1918, there was no going back.

Total war: A British horse being fitted with an experimental gas mask

Awaiting orders: British cavalrymen like these got little chance for action on the Western Front

His book contains accounts of the military impressment squads which would descend on a village, just like the naval press gangs of yesteryear, and round up all the horses for service.

Some of the photographs show the bond between horse and man — the men of the Royal Scots Greys watering their animals in a French mill pool, or soldiers on both sides fitting equine gas masks.

Many images show the crucial role of the workhorse/warhorse in shifting the millions of tons of rations and ammunitions up to the front line and bringing back the wounded.

But there are other images of horses caught up in the hell of modern warfare — some floundering in the mud, others lying injured in the aftermath of battle and many beyond hope.


Thirsty work: The Royal Scots Greys water their mounts in a French mill pond

‘Horses were easier targets than men, and you could do more damage to the enemy’s supply lines if you hit the horses,’ says Mr Butler, a publisher who lives on Dartmoor, just a couple of miles from where Spielberg filmed War Horse.

Nearly a century after the ‘war to end all wars’, it seems that we are finally giving due recognition to a group of comrades who never gave up and never complained for the simple reason that they could not.

As General Sir Frank Kitson writes in his foreword to the book: ‘As a person who has enjoyed the company of many horses over the years, I thank heaven that I have never had to take one to war.’



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Pregnant cat thrown out of moving car gives birth in a barn... and then leads RSPCA man to her kittens

By Emily Allen


A pregnant cat rescued after being hurled from a moving car has stunned an RSPCA inspector by leading him from the scene of the crime to her kittens.

The one-year-old black cat was thrown out of the window of a vehicle in March, Cambridgeshire, last month.

A passerby spotted her being hurled from the vehicle and kept an eye on her for two weeks before managing to coax her into her greenhouse.

She was taken to the vets for treatment for her grazed face but was returned to the scene as it was clear she had very recently had kittens.

Inspector Jon Knight said when he took the cat to the scene of the crime she began 'mewling' loudly.

Jolie only stopped crying out when Inspector Knight began to follow her and she led him for over 300m through a back garden, across a field and into a farm yard.

She finally took him into an old barn where he found her four kittens.

Inspector Knight said the one-week-old kittens, left alone while Jolie was being treated, would have died of dehydration without the action of their mother.

He said: 'To dump a pregnant cat is cruel but to throw one out of a moving car is just callous. She was only a young cat herself and she is so beautiful and friendly.

'The only thing we could do was take her back to the location where she was dumped.

I try not to humanise animals but Jolie wanted me to follow her.

Happy family: Jolie safe and sound with her kittens at Block Fen RSPCA centre in Wimblington, Cambridgeshire

'We knew she had kittens from her medical check and it is quite normal for cats to call out to their kittens to tell them they are home or to call older ones to them.

'But when no kittens came I knew she was calling to me. Every time I stopped, she stopped. She didn't take a direct route, she led me a merry dance to get there.

'In 15 years I have never heard of anything like this before. I would never in a million years have guessed they were there if she hadn't led me to them.

'They would have only lasted two days if I she had not taken me to them.'

Jolie is now feeding her kittens at an RSPCA centre and they will be put up for adoption after they have been weened.

Maternal: Jolie was rushed to a vet for treatment after a woman saw her being thrown out of the window of a vehicle. She is being looked after by the RSPCA


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He's got some pluck: Common gull launches aerial attack on unsuspecting EAGLE

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

A peck on the beak: This fearless common gull launched an attack on a white-tailed Sea Eagle in the skies above Norway, before stealing some feathers and escaping the bird of prey

They're a common sight wheeling through the skies above seaside towns, swooping on unsuspecting visitors and swiping bags of chips.

But this common gull clearly has bigger ideas, after tackling a full grown white tailed eagle in Norway.

The plucky bird swooped on its not-so eagle eyed victim and pecked at its head during an astonishing aerial duel.


This is a hoot: This image of a Great Grey owl was taken in Tornio, Finland

And it was the gull that came out on top as it managed to steal some of the eagle's feathers before making its escape.

This photo was one of many taken by Markus Varesvuo, 45, has part of his new book Birds: Magic Moments.

They are the product of scrupulous planning and hours of waiting for the right shot.


Peckish: This bright orange Hoopoe was pictured after catching an insect in its beak in Pusztaszer, Hungary

Mr Varesvuo told Metro: 'At worst I sit doing nothing for days, when the birds never come.

'Or I sit 24/7 by the computer wading through hundreds and hundreds of pictures.
'It is rewarding, exhilarating, and can offer the purest kind of beauty quite unexpectedly.'

He does not use a flash, relying on natural light to capture his images.


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Family reunited with missing cat after six years... when they looked on rescue site for a new pet

By NADIA GILANI

Stroke of luck: Ian Kirkwood with Sar Chi, who went missing six years ago from the family's home in Wallingford, Oxfordshire

A family whose cat went missing six years ago were stunned when they searched an animal rescue centre's website for a new pet - and found their old moggy.

Four-year-old tabby Sar Chi disappeared from his home in Wallingford, Oxfordshire in 2005.

Owner Ian Kirkwood, 45, and his family put up dozens of posters in their neighbourhood but their missing moggy never returned.


Lost and found: The Kirkwood family recognised the markings on Sar Chi, who is now 10, when they were looking at the website of an animal rescue site

Two weeks ago the family decided to adopt a new cat and searched the website of the nearby Lewknor Blue Cross rescue centre for a suitable pet.

Imagine their shock when they saw a picture of a 10-year-old cat called 'Mr Darcy' which was identical to Sar Chi.

Mr Kirkwood contacted the centre and took old pictures of Sar Chi to compare with the cat on the website, which confirmed it was his missing pet - and they promptly adopted him.

He said: 'It was incredible to find him after so long.

'Sar Chi went missing one Sunday night and never came home in the morning.

'My boys were really upset. We put up posters around the area where we live, but we never had any sightings of him.


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Deep-sea jiving: Meet the woman who has learned to dance with the dolphins

By Lucy Buckland


This is the woman who dances with dolphins in perfect symmetry in their natural habitat.

And these amazing images capture the dazzling movements between Leina Sato and her mammal partners.

Free diver Ms Sato began dancing with dolphins off the coast of Hawaii and built up an amazing understanding of these graceful sea creatures.

Scroll down for the video

Unique connection: Through Leina Sato's dance movements she is able to discover more about dolphins and form a closer relationship with the mammals

Perfect partners: Because Leina Sato dances with dolphins everyday off the coast of Hawaii their movements become synchronised to create identical movements

She started swimming with them seven years ago and instead of her original intention of studying marine biology, she then set up her own charter boat company.

This allowed her to dive with them practically everyday for the last four years and to form a close relationship with the mammals, so the dolphins began to mirror her movements.

Ms Sato, 25, was born in Tokyo, but moved to France when she was one and again to Hawaii when she was 15.

She said: 'We really are blessed here in Hawaii to have had this strong, ongoing relationship between human and wild dolphins.

'When you swim with them you lose all sense of time and you immerse yourself in the pod. Rather than just looking at them it is very much like going to meet another culture or civilization.

Capturing the moment: A film, starring Leina Sato and others dancing with dolphins, won an award for Best Experimental Film at the Big Apple Film Festival for its beautiful cinematography

Follow me: Leina Sato shows sometimes her dolphin dance partners take the lead


Roll with it: Eye contact between human and dolphin can help contribute to the perfect mirror movements

'What really fascinates me is the fact that they have a neocortex as evolved as ours although wired quite differently but we move in such a different reality.'

And Ms Sato is part of a group called the Dolphin Dance Project which captured the movements of humans and dolphins dancing on film.

Their creation Together: Dancing with Spinner Dolphins won Best Experimental Film at the Big Apple Film Festival in 2010.




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A true dog of war: Hero RAF dog Buster bow wows out after serving FIVE tours of duty

By Daily Mail Reporter


An RAF dog who braved bombs and bullets over five operational tours of duty is retiring a military hero.

Air Dog Buster, a nine-year-old English springer spaniel, has earned a row of campaign medals for his service in in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The arms and explosives sniffer dog now lives with his handler RAF Police Sergeant Michael 'Will' Barrow, 45, and his wife, Tracy, in Cranwell, Lincolnshire.

But though he will now take a step back from frontline duties, the heroic dog has not turned his back on military life - he is set to become the RAF Police mascot.

In Afghanistan's deadly Helmand province, Buster saved his countless lives by sniffing out explosive vests - leading to the arrests of two suicide bombers.

He joined his comrades repeatedly on foot patrols through the poppy fields hunting Taliban insurgents and tracking down booby trap bombs left behind for British and American troops.

Sergeant Barrow told the Daily Express how, even in the face of enemy attacks, Buster's unflappable composure held solid.

Decorated: Buster, a nine-year-old English springer spaniel, has earned a row of campaign medals for his service in in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan

'Each time [we were attacked], Buster waited calmly for the action to cease, then carried on his search for improvised explosive devices, and keeping patrols safe,' he said.

Now Buster will spend the rest of his days with the Barrows and their two dogs - another springer spaniel and a German shepherd.

But, like many military men, adapting to life away from the warzone has not proved easy.

'We had to teach Buster to play with the other dogs,' said Sergeant Barrow. 'When he was a working dog he only got toys when he made a find. And when he came home he collected up all the dogs’ toys and became very protective of them.'


Hero: During action Buster would wait calmly for the action to cease, then carried on his search for improvised explosive devices, and keeping patrols safe. Seven year old Josh Barrie-Marklow gives the spaniel a welcome home hug


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Did someone say they'd lost a penguin? 200,000 young birds search for their hungry chicks

By Jessica Satherley


Most parents will know the problem. Your back is turned for two seconds and your little one has disappeared into the crowd.

Well just be thankful it’s not a crowd like this.

This sea of black, white and brown is created by 200,000 king penguins searching for their hungry chicks on the South Atlantic island of South Georgia.

Each year, the king penguin colony at Salisbury Plains, South Georgia, produces an astonishing 50,000 chicks - a number which is on the rise

And, incredibly given the apparent chaos, the young birds hardly ever get lost – thanks to each having a unique begging call.

The scene was captured by German photographer Michael Poliza after the penguins had returned en masse to their home colony for a new breeding season.

King penguins are 3ft tall and weigh up to 33lbs. They lay just one egg each year and the fluffy brown chicks take 11 months to become self-sufficient, so it’s fortunate for them that their parents can p-p-p-pick them out.

Each year, the king penguin colony at Salisbury Plains, South Georgia, produces an astonishing 50,000 chicks - a number which is on the rise.

And Mr Poliza, from Hamburg, Germany, was left speechless when he was met by the noise, smell and breathtaking sight of the enormous colony.

This sea of black, white and brown is created by 200,000 king penguins searching for their hungry chicks on the South Atlantic island

He said: "Nothing can prepare you for opening your eyes and seeing hundreds of thousands of penguins right in front of you for as far as you can see.

"It was beautiful looking out across a sea of such vibrant colour - I felt a bit like an opera conductor amidst a one-of-a-kind concert of cries from thousands of hungry chicks.

"The view was even more stunning as it was framed by a truly breathtaking backdrop of mountains and glaciers.

"The chick is a true 'homebody' in every sense of the word. They need about eleven months to become self-sufficient so it's a good job they have such a unique cry.

"King penguins can recognise each other's call and can find their mate and their chick among the 200,000 birds in the colony."

Each October king penguins across the subpolar Antarctic regions return to their home colonies to breed and lay just one precious egg.

Dedicated Michael, who has a new exhibition opening in Germany at the end of October, had to travel to the Antarctic Peninsula on a cruise ship to capture the striking shots.

It looks like they're playing Wheres Wally: The chaotic scenes make it look impossible for the adult penguins to find their young, but because of their unique begging call amazingly they never get lost


Photographer Michael Poliza, who has a new exhibition opening in Germany at the end of October, had to travel to the Antarctic Peninsula on a cruise ship to capture the striking shots

He would wake up at 4am and go straight from his cabin to the upper deck, where a crane lifted him and a rubber dinghy overboard and lowered them into the icy water.

He added: "Part of the courtship ritual of king penguins is an erect posture where both sexes make themselves as tall as possible to impress their potential mate.

"During the October courtship period, males parade the females with loud calls, an erect posture and a courtship walk - being the tallest certainly impresses the females.

"It seems like a chaotic mixture of adults and their chicks, and king penguins look quite comical, but they know exactly what they are doing.

"On land, penguins are very curious as there have been no land predators in Antarctica so I was able to get up close to them.

"I would love to go back again as it was a truly fantastic experience."



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The beast of Bushy Park: Man hurled to ground in latest attack by a rutting stag

By Nick Fagge and Emily Andrews


Targets have already included a female walker, a young girl and a swan.

Now a man in his 50s has become the latest victim of rutting stags running rampant round a London park.

The unidentified man was knocked off his feet by the red male deer, who charged him from 200 yards away with its 16-point antlers, leaving him on his back and sending the bottle of water he was carrying flying.

Attack: A man in knocked down by the stag in Bushy Park in south-west London, the latest victim of the rutting animals that have rampaged through the park in recent weeks

He was saved by passers-by, who ran to his aid and scared the animal away.

Autumn is the mating season for deer and stags aggressively compete for does, shunning food and devoting their time to capturing a harem of females, who come into season for only one or two days.

This year, however, that aggression appears to have spilled over into other targets.

And although no one can be sure if the same stag is responsible for all the attacks, locals at Bushy Park, in south-west London, are blaming an animal they have dubbed the Beast of Bushy.

Last week a woman walking through the park had to flee a charging stag, while a young girl was taken to hospital after she was attacked.

The man in his 50s was charged on Sunday evening. Although shocked, he was not seriously injured and was able to walk away.

The attack was caught on camera by music student William Harvey, 22, a keen wildlife photographer. He said: ‘I saw two stags running around bellowing at each other and displaying very aggressive behaviour.

‘After 15 minutes of that they went their separate ways. The one that attacked the man ran at him from about 200 yards away.

‘I think the man was trying to sit it out and hope that it would ignore him.

‘The stag got to the man and brushed against him at first. The man got up at this point and started to move off but the stag turned round and came back at him.

‘It went for him and there was contact between the stag’s antler and the man’s legs and he went down on to his back.

‘Once it had put the man on his back it moved off and some other people came running over and helped the man up.’

The 1,100-acre park is home to 320 red and fallow deer, which stand 4ft at the shoulder and can grow to a huge size.

A Royal Parks spokesman said: ‘Deer are wild animals and must be treated with caution.

'Visitors are reminded to keep a respectful distance of at least 50 yards from the creatures.’



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Pepperoni to go (and better hurry it up): Black bear terrifies customers as he drops in for a late-night pizza

By Mail Foreign Service


Self-service: The grown black bear leans on the counter as he swipes the pizzas from Fat Tony's in Whistler, Canada


Traditionally, bears like nothing better than a pot of honey to dip their paws in.
But this hungry chap clearly prefers pizza.

And what a stir he caused at Fat Tony's joint in Whistler, British Columnbia, as he helped himself to a takeaway with a difference.

Customers rushed to safety as the fully grown black bear entered the premises and took pictures from behind the stainless steel counter of him wolfing down four freshly cooked pizzas.

It seemed his taste was for the vegetarian and cheeseburger options.


Having let himself in through the back door close to the pizza shops close to the 10pm closing time, the bear eventually was shooed away by animal control only after he had filled his appetite.

'I was at a bar across the road called Tapley's and I heard a massive commotion coming from across the road in Fat Tony's,' said onlooker Nicole Smith.

'I was with a bunch of people who ran out to say that there was a big 400 pound bear in the restaurant eating pizza.

Late night snack: The bear arrived just before 10pm and helped himself to four freshly cooked pizzas - with vegetarian and cheeseburger toppings

'So we rushed across the road to check it out and saw the bear inside the pizza place up on the counter eating away at a pizza.

'It was having difficulty not slipping off the stainless steel counter but was able to reach up and grab all the pizza slices it wanted.

'He was eating slice by slice and had impeccable manners for a bear.' Calmly ushered out of the pizza restaurant by the management, Nicole and her friends couldn't help but laugh at the potentially deadly gate crasher.


Don't mind if I do: The bear was eventually shooed away by animal control experts after enjoying his takeaway with a difference.

'The bear ate all the pizza available to him and then after being allowed to film for a while we were asked to leave,' said Nicole.

'They established a safety zone around the restaurant while the authorities scared him away.

'He had a tag, so I guess they know him, although I haven't seen him around.

'I imagine that they will keep the back door closed more often now.'


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Pick on someone your own size! Stag leaps into river after turning on SWAN

By Daily Mail Reporter


This is the dramatic moment an unsuspecting swan is attacked by a stag in extraordinary scenes along a quiet London riverbed.

As the tranquil swan gently moved along a stream through Bushy Park, in Richmond, either side of the water two male stags were preparing to clash.

It is the second attack by rutting stags in a matter of days in the park after a woman was chased and left 'badly shaken' as she watched a mating ritual.

Minding his own business: This unsuspecting swan was gliding along on a stream through Bushy Park when it got caught in the middle of two rutting stags


Amazingly in this latest stag attack the swan managed to make a miraculous escape ducking out of the way, with just moments to spare, as the two stags crashed into each other with full force.

Both extraordinary scenes were captured by keen photographer Robert Piper, 55.

Speaking about the swan incident, he said: 'That area of the park was very busy at the time - there were families picnicking on the banks of the stream just a few yards away.

'The two stags were on either side of the stream bellowing and gesturing at each other with mock charges.

'The loud bellowing noises attracted even more onlookers but the poor swan seemed completely unaware of what was happening.

Beauty and the beast: The rutting stag advances on the swan in Bushy Park -onlookers were stunned at the extraordinary scenes

Innocent victim: The swan was scooped up by the stag, in scenes captured by photographer Robert Piper, and driven over to the other side of the bank

Lucky escape: The swan just manages to fly away from the rutting stags, who desperately want to lock horns

Escape route: The swan dives under the water as the stag looks on, amazingly neither creature was injured

'Suddenly the more aggressive stag on the right bank leapt into the water, and charged with it's full might driving the swan to the other bank.

'The stag on the left bank then charged but somehow the swan managed to escape at the last second as both stags locked horns in the water.

'It was an incredible moment and the swan was definitely left a bit shaken up. I don't think it will be back there anytime soon.

'Soon after, both stags retreated into the bracken and disappeared.'

On September 23 a woman was chased as she watched three stags compete with each other during a mating ritual.

Speaking about the woman's escape from the stag, Mr Piper said: 'The stag really went for her and knocked her over. She got to her feet and he charged a second time, but she managed to get behind a tree where she hid, but the stag would not move. She could not get away.”


Giving chase: The scene in Bushy Park on September 23 as a stag chases a woman, getting close enough to lift her jacket with its horns


Mr Piper said the woman finally managed to escape after he distracted the animal’s attention by shouting and waving his arms.

He added: 'She was really, really, shaken up. She was lucky she wasn’t badly hurt and was able to walk away — it could have been a lot worse.'

The unidentified woman is just one of three recent victims of stag attacks in Richmond, after a young girl and a man in his fifties ended up in hospital.

London’s Royal Parks last week issued a warning about the dangers of rutting stags following the separate attacks.

In one case a young girl was taken to hospital with head, wrist and chest injuries after being gored by a stag in Bushy Park, Richmond.

The man in his fifties was also taken to hospital after being attacked in the same park.

A spokeswoman for the Royal Parks, which maintains Bushy Park where there are currently 320 red and fallow deer, said: 'We are aware of the incidents and are investigating the circumstances.

'It’s important to remind park visitors that deer are wild animals and must be treated with caution. It’s dangerous to approach the deer at any time of year, but especially between September and November, when the males are rutting.

'Signs throughout the park warn that caution is necessary.'



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Wild horses! Angry stallions kick off in mountain-side battle for supremacy

-Nine stallions fight to decide who is king of the meadow

By Emily Allen


Battle for supremacy: The group of stallions gathered in the meadow to hold their battle and mark their territory


These horses took a battering as they kicked each other in the chest and neck in a showdown fight for supremacy over their meadow.

A group of nine stallions gathered on the mountain-side meadow to hold their annual battle and mark their territory.

Photographer Magnus Hoog captured the remarkable final round between a grey North Swede, thought to be eight-years-old, and a brown Arab, aged ten.


The winning grey horse secured the best part of the common for himself and a herd of three. The defeated nag was forced to walk away with two others.

All the privately-owned horses, fitted with rubber shoes to limit injuries, remained on the common to eat grass throughout the summer.

They will return to a shelter in the Swedish province of Dalarna over winter.

Battle: Photographer Magnus Hoog captured the fierce conflicts on camera, including a violent fight between a grey North Swede, and a brown Arab

Magnus, who lives nearby, said: 'The horses start arriving in the meadow from nine o'clock in intervals of roughly 30 to 60 minutes.

'Each newcomer is greeted with hostility by those already on the meadow and this results in fights.

'The aim of the fight is to establish ranks among them.


Victory: The winning grey horse secured the best part of the common for himself and a herd of three. The loser walked away with two other weaklings

'The North Swede was crowned the king of the meadow while the Arab and his two mates were left with a remote corner.

'The stallions are wearing rubber horse shoes rather than regular metal ones because the owners do not want their horses to get hurt.

'Nevertheless, the sound is impressive when a horse kicks and hits another one. Their power is beyond belief.'

The 53-year-old added: 'There is wildlife in the area but no bears or wolves so the horses are safe.'


source:dailymail

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