The big cat who's just a big softie: Pet cheetah enjoys snacks from the fridge, playing with the dog and curling up on sofa

•Jolie the cheetah slept in its owners' bed as a cub
•Big cat curls up on the sofa and eats from the kitchen table

By Kerry Mcdermott


..These incredible pictures reveal the couple sharing their family home with a pet cheetah.

Big cat Jolie is named after film star Angelina, and the cheetah is certainly used to the A-list treatment at Magda and Japie Bienaar's family home, where it can often be found eating from the kitchen table, snoozing on the sofa, or even curled up on the couple's bed.

The big cat also eats, sleeps and plays with the Bienaars' other, rather more conventional pet; a German Shepherd called Franky.

House cat: Jolie the cheetah with her owners Magda and Japie Bienaar at home in Bloemfontein, South Africa

Magda Bienaar said that, while she was initially reluctant to get a cheetah as a pet, 'diva' Jolie is now a part of the family.

'I was really against the idea of getting a cheetah as a pet,' she said.

'Then one day I saw an advert in our e-mail inbox about a cheetah auction. I knew my husband would try and buy one so I deleted it immediately.'

But Mrs Bienaar's efforts were in vain, as her brother-in-law did attend the auction and snapped up three of the cubs - including Jolie, the cheetah he eventually sold to Dr Bienaar.

'We are glad he did now - she is part of the family,' the 63-year-old said.

Just like namesake Angelina, four-year-old Jolie has achieved celebrity status in the Bienaars' hometown of Bloemfontein, South Africa, where fans often turn up at the couples' home to snap pictures of the tame cheetah.

'She's become a bit of a celebrity,' Mrs Bienaar said.

'At weekends people come here and take photos. She loves the attention up to a point.

'After a while she will just growl and walk off. She can be a bit of a diva.'

Jolie may be domesticated but the Bienaars say their pet still has some unfortunate habits.

'She makes a lot of mess in the house, urinating everywhere and chewing everything. It's her wild instincts,' said Dr Bienaar, 64.

'We sometimes take her in the car with our dog to the game reserve. She loves chasing the antelope.

'Because she's in captivity she isn't very fit, but it doesn't stop her trying to catch them.'


Cute: Jolie the cheetah, seen here at six months old, is now four


Cuddle: Dr Bienaar cuddles Jolie as a cub


Friendly: Jolie gets up close and personal with a smaller feline friend in a tree


'Wild instincts': The Bienaars say Jolie can often be found chewing things or urinating in the house


Dinner time: Jolie eats from the kitchen counter at the Bienaars' family home in Bloemfontein


Catching a breeze: Jolie can be seen poking her head through the window of the car on a family drive


Catnap: The Bienaars say Jolie slept in their bed with them until the cheetah grew too big


Creature comforts: Jolie checks out what's on offer in the fridge at home with Magda Bienaar


Quality time: Jolie the cheetah, seen chilling out with owner Japie Bienaar, is a part of the family


Tame: Jolie loves to ride along with owner Dr Japie Bienaar when he drives into the bush


Domesticated: Jolie the cheetah makes herself at home in the Bienaars' bathroom


Feline comfortable: Jolie takes up most of the room on the Bienaars bed alongside other pets of a more typical size


Pet kitty: Jolie has joined Dr Bienaar for a relaxing afternoon in the living room in this picture


Faithful friend: The couple got their unusual pet when Dr Bienaar's brother attended a cheetah auction


Bosom buddies: Jolie makes room in the back of the pick-up truck for Franky, the Bienaars' pet German Shepherd


Right at home: Jolie the cheetah gazes out of the window from its perch in the Bienaars' study


Tasty treats: Jolie's favourite snack is chicken liver


Nuzzling: Jolie the cheetah gets along famously with the Bienaars' pet dog Franky, the couple say


Playtime: Jolie lolls on the grass watched by Franky the German Shepherd


'Diva': Jolie has a habit of making a mess in the family home in Bloemfontein


Hanging around: Jolie lazes on the sofa alongside a pet car and dog


Snooze: A young Jolie curls up on the sofa for a nap


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Meet Freddie, the elk who thinks he's a dog: Friendly animal loves to play with other pets after being adopted by kind-hearted owner

By Daily Mail Reporter


The dog and the elk: Freddie enjoys the company of his furry friend

Freddie the elk enjoys palling around with his furry friends, jumping in his owner's car for a quick ride and living indoors - seemingly unaware he is a completely different species to your average pet.

Freddie was rescued when he was a calf and has been so incorporated into the domestic live of his caretaker, he lives as though he were a pet dog at his owner's home at the Gauja National Park in Vidzeme, Latvia.

He was born as a set of triplets and after being abandoned by his mother, was found by Velga Vitola, a caretaker at the national park in eastern Europe.

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Species confusion: Freddie doesn't seem to realize that his fellow elk roam the forest instead of living indoors

Freddie and the cat: The domesticated elk even gets along with the house feline

She gave him milk as he struggled to survive and raised him alongside her pet dog.

Ms Vitola is known for her kind heart and has often rescued animals she encounters.

Called 'the mother of all animals,' she has also raised two bears in her home, and actually had two cubs sleep alongside her in bed.


Rescued at birth: Freddie was born as a set of triplets and was abandoned by his mother


Adopted: Velga Vitola found the young calf and raised him as her own

Animal lover: Freddie was rescued by Velga Vitola, who is called 'The Mother of All Animals'

The first bear died but the second, Ilzite, who is now 10, still lives in her backyard though in a caged area.

Though Ilzite is too large to cuddle anymore, the two still get affectionate through the cage.


Just one of the dogs: The young elk plays around with the pet dog


Friends: Even as Freddie grew, they continued to play together

Big and little: Freddie retains his friendship with the pet dog

'It's a kiss for mom,' Velga explains in a 2012 documentary, as Ilzite licks Velga's face and opens her mouth wide, though not to take a bite out of the animal lover

'This is our chat, she tells me about her day,' she says, explaining how she builds a relationship of trust with the animals in her care.


Bear cub: Velga Vitola with a bear cub she raised

Bear kisses: Even though the bear has grown, Velga still enjoys getting affectionate

Though Velga has been plagued with health problems she chooses to remain close to the animals she loves in the park because of the authenticity of the relationship.

'People have masks. We go to work, to the theater, we drive our cars, and we have masks on. We are not ourselves,' she said.

'But when an animal looks at you, he is himself. Without a mask. That's a thing we could learn from them.'

Gauja National Park is a popular tourist attraction, offering visitors picturesque nature views in addition to tours of historical monuments like stone castles, churches and artistic monuments.


Cat and bear: Her baby bear plays with her pet cat


Velga Vitola is a caretaker at the Gauja National Park, Latvia, a popular tourist attraction for nature lovers

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Who ate all the sausages? World's fattest Dachshund put on drastic diet after weighing in at five and a half stone

•Obie, aged five, is double the size of an average sausage dog - normally just a little over two stone


By Daily Mail Reporter

..The world's fattest sausage dog weighing a staggering five and a half stone has been put on a drastic diet to try and get him back into shape.

Overweight Obie, who is double the size of an average Dachshund, was nearly fed to death by his doting elderly owners who had to give him up because of their deteriorating health.

Vet Nora Vanetta heard about his condition and has now taken him in determined help him lose weight.


Big boy: At five and a half stone - the equivalent of 77 lbs - Obie is the world's fattest Dachshund

Too many sausages: Obie, who was overfed by his doting elderly owners, is now too fat to do any exercise

Ms Vanetta, from Portland in Oregon, U.S., couldn't believe a sausage dog could reach that size and originally assumed they'd got confused about his breed.

A Dachshund normally has a maximum weight of 32 pounds - a little over two stone - with Obie more than twice the size at the age of just five.

She said: 'Well, he arrived on August 18 and to my astonishment he was a dachshund and he actually weighed 77 lbs.

'He is extremely sweet and loving. He was obviously loved and is a joy to work with. The ageing owners just couldn't say no to those big brown eyes.


Dieting: Obie, aged five, has now been taken in by vet Nora Vanetta in Portland, Oregon, who is determined to get him back in shape

Counting calories: As Obie is too big to exercise, he has been put on a special diet and hydrotherapy regime

'But we are thrilled to be able to help him, and now moving on with his new life.'

Nora, who has a degree in animal science and is a certified veterinary technician, now has the difficult task of getting Obie into shape.

But because of his staggering weight, she is unable to take him out for exercise and has resorted to a special diet and hydrotherapy in an attempt to shed the pounds.

Obie now has his own Facebook page - 'Biggest Loser, Doxie Edition' - which documents the obese animal's weight loss regime.

It is hoped the sausage dog can lose around 40 lbs to get his weight to between 30 and 40 lbs.


Tipping the scales: Obie is double the size of most Dachshunds that normally have a maximum weight of 32 pounds


Working out: Obie has a Facebook page, Biggest Loser, Doxie Edition, where people can track his progress

Nora wants her two other dogs - a nine-year-old Labrador and five-year-old Dachshund - to be good role models for Obie

She has also set up a Paypal page to encourage people to donate money to pay for his continued care.

Nora added: 'I feel tremendously blessed to be involved in his rehabilitation and I am amazed at the outpouring of love and support that I have received.

'My hope is that he can be an inspiration to any person or animal trying to lose weight.

'It is so important to introduce pups and kids to a healthy lifestyle and food choices as early as possible.'


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The real-life unicorns: Magical shots of wild white horses racing through French marshes at Camargue

By Alex Ward


These magical photos capture the rugged beauty of wild horses galloping through the marshes of southern France.

Photographer Marco Carmassi searched for more than two days until he found the herd of Camargue horses, named after the region of France they are native to.

Capturing the wild animals on camera proved difficult and frightening as they galloped towards him at full speed.

Wild beauties: The wild Camargue horses galloping through water in the marshes in Southern France

The 48-year-old photographer from Pisa, Italy said: ‘Frankly, I got scared more than once to see so many horses approaching me at full speed.

‘I was just looking to capture the best shot I could and I remember being so focused on getting it but, being wild horses, it wasn't so easy.

‘Often I averted my eye from the viewfinder to witness the amazing scene.’


Long search: Photographer Marco Carmassi searched for more than two days before he found the herd of about a dozen horses

Amazing but frightening: Mr Carmassi had some terrifying moments when the horses seem to run at him at full speed

Mr Carmassi visited the Natural Park of Camargue near Arles specifically to shoot
the beautiful creatures and after two days of fruitless searching he was directed to a spot by a man who lives in the park.

Waiting there for hours, he started to lose hope until he spotted about a dozen horses in the distance.

He said: ‘To have the chance to shoot these wonderful creatures was incredible.

‘I fully enjoyed the special moment and I could have stayed there for months photographing them - I'm very proud of the shots.


Ancient: The Camargue horses are an ancient breed known for their stamina, hardiness and intelligence in the harsh environment of the marshes

Cowboys' pick: The horses are easily trained and the steed of choice for traditional French cowboys when herding the black Camargue bulls used for bullfights

‘I have never photographed horses before in my life and I was very worried that my camera wouldn't have been able to perform a good job.

‘Camargue is a very charming place, and you can see for miles as there are no mountains obstructing your views.’

Carmague horses are traditionally used for cattle work and while their average height is only about 14 hands, they have strong build.

The Camargue is an ancient breed famed for stamina, hardiness and intelligence in the harsh environment of the marshes.

They are easily trained and are the steed of choice for the gardians, traditional French cowboys, when herding the black Camargue bulls used for bullfights.

Born brown or black, they grow paler as they age, developing a light grey colouring.


Born brown or black, the horses grow paler as they age, developing a light grey colouring


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Starting as he means to go on: Baby baboon develops early taste for destruction as he munches on car number plate at safari park

By Daily Mail Reporter


He may look cute now, but this playful primate could soon be getting to grips with your car.

And he's not alone as there's been something of a baby baboon boom at a popular wildlife attraction this summer.

There have been 15 births in a troop of 120 olive baboons at Knowsley Safari Park, in Merseyside.


This baby baboon gets an 'A' for effort, as he learns how to bite on part of a car registration plate after being born at Knowsley Safari Park in Merseyside.

One of the 15 new born baby Olive Baboon monkeys, at Knowsley Safari Park

But just like this adorable baby, all 15 could grow up to just over two feet tall and weigh as much as 50kg, or just under eight stone, with a penchant for mischief and destruction.

Peter Litchfield, head of the animal division at the Merseyside attraction, said: 'It's brilliant that the park has had such a great boom in baby baboons.

'With the sun out they have been soaking up some rays.

'The cars that come through offer a great source of enjoyment and if they can get their hands around the edges they will rip it off.'


Mother clings on to this adorable baby baboon who is now one of 120 of the species at the park

This baby baboon could grow to more than two feet and weigh just under eight stone

Native to 25 African countries stretching from Mali eastward to Ethiopia and Tanzania, the olive baboon is named after its coat - which at a distance appears to be a shade of green-grey.

Females lead the troop with the species roaming up to ten miles a day. It then sleeps in high trees or on the side of cliffs at night.


The species are native to 25 different African countries and can roam up to ten miles every day

Olive baboons are so-called because their fur is a grey-green colour from a distance

The baboons are said to be naturally social, mischievous creatures and are not known to be overly aggressive towards people.

It's not just broody baboons that staff at Knowsley have had to deal with this summer after a spate of births.

Some of those born so far have naturally been named after some of Team GB's Olympic heroes with two lion cubs named after record-breaking heptathlete Jessica Ennis and cycling golden girl Victoria Pendleton and a baby wildebeest named after Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins.


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I can't bear to look down! Adorable cubs with a head fur heights climb up a tree for fun

By Emma Clark


Maybe they were looking for a place to escape a telling off from mum and dad, but these mischievous young bear cubs haven't done a very good job of hiding themselves.

At least 11 of the playful youngsters were photographed sitting in the spindly-looking tree in North America clinging to every spare inch of the trunk.

While the cuddly bears look like they could be escaping danger on the ground, they are actually using the tree as their playground, affectionately tussling with each other.

An astonishing gathering of young bear cubs sit precariously in a thin and fragile-looking tree

The hanging brown bears of all shades climbed over their brothers and sisters to find the best spot and settle in for an uncomfortable-looking rest.

One of the bears appears to have taken a rest on the back of one his siblings while others climb higher, keeping a watchful eye on the ground.

When fully grown brown bears can reach eight-foot in height and weigh up to 800 pounds and canbe found throughout North America as well as in parts of Scandinavia, Russia and central Asia.


A group of playful young bear cubs climb over each other as they crowd the sparse branches of a tree


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