SMASHING MAGAZINE

Awesome and Amazing multi-coloured 'peacock' spider

2009-11-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

When we think of spiders, us Brits tends to imagine the black and brown creatures that thrive in dry corners and give us a fright when we least expect it.

Australians, the other hand, are privy to much more exciting sights, as these pictures of the 'peacock spider' prove.

While it may be eight-legged like every other spider, this one has an impressive mating ritual to attract a partner.
It shows off a rainbow of colours to impress nearby females by fanning out two brightly patterned flaps at the back of his body.

Displaying its spectrum of shades in an attempt to attract the attention of the less vibrant brown spiders, the creature reveals hues of orange, yellow, green and blue.

Also known as a Moratus Vilans, amateur photographer Jurgen Otto originally spotted the colourful creature in the wild.

However, as it is only 4mm long, he found it easier to capture images in his Sydney home.

awesome, Amazing, spider, peacock

Cool and Amazing Tragic end for the zoo deer who leapt into a lion enclosure

2009-11-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

This is the moment a baby deer makes a real error of judgement and jumps into a zoo enclosure containing a pair of hungry lions.

Desperate visitors watched in horror as the young whitetail deer literally leapt into the lions' den at the National Zoo in Washington, U.S.

The crowd urged the tiny fawn to run as a lioness chased after the creature and trapped it beneath one of its paws.

But the plucky deer managed to shake off its pursuers, race away before leaping into a moat which surrounded the lion enclosure.

Cheering spectators then watched as keepers managed to the two lionesses back into their pens while they rescued the deer from the water.

Witness Rob Ephraim said the deer ran between people at the railing of the low wall and jumped into the sunken enclosure with the lions.

He said: 'It was running and it leaped, it must have had a death wish.'

Tragically the animal suffered serious wounds to its stomach and had to be put down.

The National Zoo is part of Rock Creek Park, home to many deer and other wild or 'feral' animals including raccoons and chipmunks.

Zoo spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Massan said it was the first time a deer had managed to get inside one of the carnivore's enclosures.

She said that the fawn had suffered serious injuries that it would not have been able to recover from.

The Strange fighting female footballer who leaves her opponents quaking in their boots

2009-11-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

A hard-tackling, hair-pulling female footballer has become an internet sensation after a series of violent fouls were caught on camera.

Elizabeth Lambert was suspended from her university team after being seen hitting, kicking and, in one instance, pulling an opponent down by her hair during a game.

Millions of people have watched clips of the American defender’s bad behaviour online since the footage was filmed last Thursday.

Kit Vela, her coach at the University of New Mexico team, said: ‘Her actions clearly crossed the line of fair play and good sportsmanship.’

At one point during a match against Brigham Young University, Lambert, tugged a player's hair so hard that she was pulled to the ground

The New Mexico player has apologised for her actions but she could still face further disciplinary action over the incident.

She said: ‘I am deeply and wholeheartedly regretful for my actions.

‘My actions were uncalled for. I let my emotions get the best of me in a heated situation. I take full responsibility for my actions.’

Now watch the video of Lambert in battle...

The five-year-old with a six pack: Child bodybuilder in record books after TV stunt .

2009-10-24T04:39:00.000-07:00

A muscle-bound boy has been entered into the Guinness Book of Records after performing an incredible physical stunt.

Romanian Giuliano Stroe, five, has been training since the age of two in Italy - where he lives with his family - and now the hard work has finally paid off.

He was entered into the record books earlier this year after performing some impressive 'hand-walking' skills to a panel of judges and an astonished audience on an Italian TV show .

The exceptional pre-schooler performed the fastest ever 10m hand walk with a weight ball between his legs to the delight of the studio audience.

And he has now become an internet hit after hundreds of thousands of people watched a clip of him performing the stunt on YouTube.

Father Iulian Stroe, 33, said: 'He has been going to the gym with me ever since he was born. I always took him with me when I went training.'

He added there is no danger of the youngster harming himself, saying: 'I have been training hard all my life myself.

'He is never allowed to practice on his own, he is only a child and if he gets tired we go and play.'

Giuliano, the oldest of four children, says his stardom has not gone to his head and he still enjoys normal kids stuff like painting, watching cartoons and playing in the park when he is not weightlifting.

But it seems he has picked up a taste for fame during his incredible exploits, revealing he enjoys it when he is applauded after performing.

It sparks memories of Richard Sandrak, who, after his father trained him to become a bodybuilder, aged just three in 1995, was declared The Strongest Boy In The World.
Nicknamed Little Hercules, Ukrainian-born Richard could bench press 210 pounds at the age of six after undergoing a strict regime.

After moving to the U.S., he became a movie star, starring in Tiny Tarzan, after his fitness schedule attracted media attention.

Interviewed this year, Richard, now 16, said that he had lost interest in working out.

To boldly go: 98 base jumpers take part in 400m plunge off Malaysian tower

2009-10-23T06:20:00.000-07:00

Plummeting through the air off the top of a 421m tower is not everyone’s idea of fun, but for these base jumpers it was an experience of a lifetime.

Some 98 of the extreme sports enthusiasts took part in the 2009 International Tower jump in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today.

The structure was built in 1995 for communication purposes and is currently the fifth tallest freestanding tower in the world.

Professionals from 18 countries gathered for the opportunity to hurl themselves into the sky before parachuting down to earth during the event.

Base jumping started in the 1980s after several sky jumpers modified their equipment for an increased thrill.

The sport involves wearing a parachute and jumping from fixed objects – with the word ‘base’ standing for the four categories of surfaces from which you can jump: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges) and earthThe first base jump in Malaysia was held in 1999 and the annual event continues to draw huge crowds and increasing numbers of participants.

Artist creates Amazing and Awesome images of iconic landmarks as you have never seen them before

2009-10-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

An artist who has a new view of the world has created awe-inspiring tiny 'planets' from our most iconic landmarks.

Alexandre Duret-Lutz took a series of stunning photographs of some of the world's most famous buildings and made them into montages of miniature worlds.

Suspended in space, the tiny spheres make our most loved landmarks look even more impressive, with tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and the Colosseum towering over the minions below.

Buckingham Palace, a beautiful desert island and Saint Saturnin of Toulouse are just a handful of the cherished landmarks given their own fantasy worlds.

Alexandre has created more than 400 of what he calls the 'Wee Worlds'.

With plans to make many more, Alexandre appears well on his way to fathering an entire miniature galaxy.

Using a photographic technique - called stereographic projection - the artist manipulates a series of panoramic pictures into the breathtaking cosmic circles using careful Photoshop skills.

Alexandre, from Paris, France, said: 'I plan to make many more worlds like these, I guess you could say it's like in the bible, except I make worlds with my camera.

'At each location I take as many pictures as I can before making them into a Wee World.

'It might have taken God six days to make a world but I can do it in just a few hours.'

Other grand sights that Alexandre has given their own tiny planets include the London Eye, the Golden Jubilee Bridge and the Vatican.

The talented artist is also an assistant professor at Epita Research and Development Laboratory in France.

A Stereographic Projection is a way of picturing the sphere as the plane. Anyone with basic Photoshop skills can create an image with this effect.

Maldives government highlights the impact of climate change... by meeting underwater

2009-10-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

The Maldives government has made an eye-catching plea for climate change action by holding the world's first underwater cabinet meeting.

Politicians from the Indian Ocean island nation donned scuba gear this morning to send a message to world leaders ahead of December's UN climate change conference in Copenhagen.

The nation's president Mohammed Nasheed has voiced fears the archipelago will be swamped by raising sea levels unless action is taken to reduce carbon emissions.

The 30-minute cabinet meeting held six metres below sea-level was intended to show what the future could hold for the Maldives.

The 350,000 inhabitants of the country live on 1,192 coral islands an average of only 2.1 metres above the ocean.

Ministers communicated using hand signals and white boards as they signed a document calling on all countries to cut their emissions.

It read: 'We must unite in a world war effort to halt further temperature rises. Climate change is happening and it threatens the rights and security of everyone on Earth.

'We have to have a better deal. We should be able to come out with an amicable understanding that everyone survives. If Maldives can't be saved today, we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world.'

President Nasheed was already a certified diver but most of the cabinet have had to take diving lessons in recent weeks in preparation for the meeting.

Zoona Naseem, president of Divers Association Maldives, said: 'None of the ministers have ever been diving before, except the defense minister, and all of them are very enthusiastic.'

Nasheed has already announced plans for a fund to buy a new homeland for his people if the 1,192 coral islands are submerged. He has promised to make the Maldives the world's first carbon-neutral nation within a decade.

As he emerged after the meeting, he said: 'We are trying to send our message to let the world know what is happening and what will happen to the Maldives if climate change isn't checked.'

At the UN Copenhagen conference countries will negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Protocol which controlled carbon emissions.

Wealthy nations want broad emissions cuts from all countries, while poorer ones say industrialized countries should carry most of the burden.

On Friday the Maldives ministers went diving for rehearsals of the meeting off the island of Girifushi, about 20 minutes by speedboat from the capital, Male.

Three of the 14 in the cabinet had to miss the underwater meeting because two were not given medical permission and another was abroad.

Strange But Cool Britain's oldest newlyweds who have combined age of 181

2009-10-11T14:22:00.000-07:00

Two pensioners with a combined age of 181 became Britain's oldest ever newlyweds after they married in a quiet ceremony yesterday.

Sheila Walsh, 87, and Les Atwell, 94, both from Paignton, Devon, met four years ago after Mr Atwell's cleaner suggested he meet a friend of hers.

Ms Walsh said: 'She told me about Les and I thought he sounded nice, but when she said: "he's 90", I thought "oh no, I'm not so sure".

'But when we met, that was it. It was love at first sight.'

The couple met for the first time outside a Tesco store in Paignton, and Mr Atwell chose the same spot to propose to his beloved three years later.

'It doesn't sound romantic, but it was where we first met so it was only right that I should ask her to marry me there as well,' he said.

'Once I popped the question it didn't take us long to organise the wedding. When you get to my age, you can't hang around,' he added.

They celebrated yesterday with a family lunch and were joined by Mr Atwell's son Stewart, granddaughter Catherine and sister Mary.

The pair are now set to enjoy a honeymoon cruise around the Mediterranean, and plan to take in the sights in Barcelona, Rome and Athens.

James Mason, 93, and his wife Peggy, 85, also from Paignton, shortly held the title of the country's oldest newlyweds after they married in 2007. The previous record holders were Cyril Sergeant and Madge Robbins who married in February 2008 in Birmingham with a combined age of 178.

The world record is held by French couple Francois Fernandez, then 96, and Madeleine Francineau, then 94. who married in 2002.

Amazing and Strange 22lb Fat Cat Socrates is signed up to the PDSA's Pet Fit Club

2009-09-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

His owner apparently hadn't noticed that Socrates was getting a little pudgy.

As you can see from her face however, the vet's nurse realised straight away.

At a whopping 22lb, the black and white heavyweight in Jenny Doig's arms is more than double the size of a normal cat.
Owner Bill Duncan, 52, had taken Socrates to the vet worried by his lack of get-up-and-go.

The verdict, not surprisingly, was that he was simply too fat to move, possibly because of his taste for cheese and onion crisps.

Twice a day, regular as clockwork, he had managed to stagger to his paws and miaow for his breakfast and tea.
Now however, meals are a little disappointing. Five-year-old Socrates has been chosen as one of nine finalists in Pet Fit Club, the PDSA animal charity's annual diet competition.
With just 100 days to reach his target weight of 9.9lb, he gets two 50g helpings of prescription diet food a day. That's about half of what he used to eat.

'Because he's long-haired I hadn't noticed how big his belly was getting,' said Mr Duncan from North Shields, Tyne and Wear.

'When I feed him now, he scoffs it down and looks at me as if to say, "Where's the rest of it?" '

Awesome 12ft model of Eiffel Tower made entirely of chocolate

2009-09-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

A 12ft-high model of the Eiffel Tower made entirely out of chocolate gave busy commuters a glimpse but not a taste of Paris today.

The mouthwatering version of the famous landmark attracted hungry-looking glances when it appeared at St Pancras railway station, from which the Eurostar departs for the French capital.

But passers-by hoping for a taste were out of luck as the tower was constructed to mark the launch of a new range of Thorntons European city-chic inspired chocolates and will be touring stores throughout the country over the coming weeks.
The Continental City Boxes are themed around either Paris, which features milk chocolates, or Milan, which is for dark chocolate lovers, and are designed to reflect the traditional flavours and style found in each city.

The boxes feature five new chocolates, including a gingerbread and hazelnut number called Pain D'Epices, alongside the favourites that consumers will already know from the Continental range.

Keith Hurdman, Thorntons' Master Chocolatier, says: 'This is an exciting addition to the incredibly successful Continental range, and is sure to surprise and delight both our existing Continental lovers and those who have not tried it before.

'Our chocolatiers have travelled Europe to bring back the best flavours that it has to offer, and we've used them as the inspiration behind these new chocolates to give our customers that little taste of European luxury.'

But chocolate lovers face bitter news as the price of their favourite confectionary looks set to soar.

Cocoa prices have hit a 24-year high as the market faces its biggest shortage for 40 years.

The price rise has been sparked by poor harvests of cocoa beans on the Ivory Coast, which grows 40 per cent of the world's cocoa.

The El Nino weather phenomenon has also hit supplies from Indonesia, the world's third largest producer.

Amazing Mother Nature as gardener digs up five-fingered carrot

2009-09-21T12:21:00.000-07:00

A gardener got his own unique five-a-day in one go after digging up a hand-shaped carrot complete with five fingers.

The bizarre 'carrot claw' was grown by Peter Jackson, 66, in the garden of his home in Shropshire.

But Peter thought nothing more of the wacky-shaped vegetable and merely took a picture before proceeding to cook it, much to surprise of his daughter Lindsay.

Lindsay, 42, a chef from Condover, Shropshire, joked whether the hand might count as all of her 'five a day' in one go.

She said: 'We couldn't believe it, it was quite a shock to see a carrot perfectly shaped like a hand.

'You'd think that with me being a chef and my dad a gardener, we might have come across something this strange before - but we never have.

'My dad just seemed to make some joke about it being 'handy', took a picture and then I think they just ate it. He played it all down, but that's just the way dad is.

"We've not had anything weird since - no arms or legs to go with it. I don't think his garden is trying to build a carrot man. Now that would really be unusual.

'It was just one of those one-off freak of nature occurrences - but isn't it funny?'

Peter, who is a semi-retired gardener, has three vegetable plots in his large garden, in a leafy part of Shropshire.

He said that throughout his years of gardening, he had never seen anything quite like his 'carrot claw'.

Other oddly-shaped veg to hit the headlines over the years include baby-shaped pears, a parsnip that looked like a witch and a potato teddy bear. Earlier this week a gardener cut open a Jalapeno pepper to see a smiley face, complete with eyebrows, looking back at him.

'I'm giving up my cigarettes...after 95 years!' 102-year-oldest woman says

2009-09-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

She lit her first cigarette as the lights were going out over Europe at the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.

Since then she has reached for her trusty Player’s Navy Blue (or, latterly, Embassy) through the ups and downs of all the following decades.

Until now. At the astonishing age of 102, Winne Langley has kicked the habit after 95 years because she ‘didn’t fancy it any more’.

Mrs Langley, who would share cigarettes with her friends at infant school, reckons she hasn’t contracted cancer because she does not inhale.

The former laundrette worker, who lives in Croydon, South London, said: ‘Everyone used to smoke in those days, you did it to cope. We didn’t know about the health problems. I just don’t fancy it any more.

‘My eyesight is failing so in a few years’ time I might not be able to see the pack.’

Since her first puff in 1914, Mrs Langley averaged five cigarettes a day, giving a total of more than 170,000 in her lifetime.

Her cigarettes were always to hand during the Depression and the Second World War.

‘I lived close to Biggin Hill and you could hear the German rocket bombs’ engines cut out,’ she said.

‘Some bombs used to land pretty close to me. You needed a smoke after that. ‘We didn’t know if we were going to be alive from one day to the next, so we thought you might as well enjoy yourself while you’re alive.’

Mrs Langley has outlived her husband Robert, who died in 1968, and
her son, who died four years ago aged 72.

She said: ‘I’ve cut down in recent years and only had one every few days after dinner or in my bedroom. I can just about afford it but the price of cigarettes is disgusting, and the smoking ban is disgusting. You should be able to smoke where you want.’

Mrs Langley’s step-grandson Clive, 53, said: ‘Her doctors have told her there’s not much point stopping now. If she’s got to 102 without getting cancer I don’t
think she ever will.’

Beautiful Fishy looking albino otter savours his breakfast in the Scottish sun

2009-09-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

The first time she spotted him, Karen Jack didn't have enough time to fish out her camera before he slipped off into the sea.

But then, very obligingly, the rare albino otter came back and stayed for lunch.

Miss Jack managed to take this snap and a few others while the creature enjoyed his morning meal on the rocky coastline of Moray in north-east Scotland.

She was extremely lucky - as sightings of albino otters in the wild are highly unusual.

In Britain only one other live albino has been spotted in the wild in recent years and throughout the world hardly any reasonable pictures of the creatures exist.

Miss Jack said: 'I have been into photography for about three years as a hobby and love photographing wildlife, landscapes and my two cats.

'But it was just an amazing and surreal view of the albino otter, and for it to sit there and eat while we watched was mind blowing.'

Yesterday Grace Yoxon, of the Skye-based International Otter Survival Fund, said there were hardly any records of albino otters in the wild and they were almost never seen outside a museum.

Mrs Yoxon added: 'To be able to get such wonderful photos is exceptional.

'Karen was extremely lucky to have her camera with her - I am very envious.'

She said the creature, a Eurasian otter, was unlikely to be disadvantaged by its white coat now that it is an adult. 'Otters don't really have any predators,' she said.

'I would think the biggest risk may be people coming to see it.'

Otters have soft, insulated underfur protected by an outer layer of longer hair which traps air, keeping them dry and warm underwater.

Eurasian otters must eat 15 per cent of their bodyweight a day. In warmer waters they need to catch 3oz of fish an hour to survive.

Although fish make up the majority of their diet, they are also partial to frogs and crustaceans.
Some have become expert at opening shellfish.

Most species live beside water, using it to hunt and travel, but they return to dry land frequently to ensure their fur does not become waterlogged.

In March, IOSF took into its care an otter which latched on to two teenagers who were sledging, then followed them home.

The cub was spotted in snow under a bush at Windygates, Fife, in February.

He was nicknamed Dylan because one of the youngsters was playing a harmonica - an instrument synonymous with singer Bob Dylan.

Former winner of Britain's ugliest dog loses last tuft of hair in vicious attack

2009-08-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

One of Britain's ugliest dogs is licking his wounds after mindless yobs battered him and pulled out his only tuft of hair in a mindless attack.
Police in Cambridgeshire are appealing for information after shaken Mugly - who won infamy when he was crowned Britain's Ugliest Dog in 2005 - was apparently set upon by a gang of vicious youths.
The hideous prize-winning pooch, a Shitzu-Chinese Crested cross, was rescued by a passer-by who saw off the thugs that were picking on the defenceless dog.

They were allegedly seen hitting him with a stick and kicking and punching him.
The local lady recognised the practically hairless cat-sized dog from missing posters that owner Bev Nicholson, 46, had put up in the Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, neighbourhood. He had escaped from a ground-floor window at home on Thursday and was missing for the day.
'They had pulled out a little tuft of hair he had on his neck,' said Bev. 'It was the only hair he had and they even managed to take off one of his eyebrows. I can't even work out how they would have done that.

It's not like people carry scissors or a shaver around with them.' And mum-of-four Bev, a support worker for dwarf actors, reckons the youngsters may have carried out the beating because they didn't realise what Mugly was.
'I was worried sick about him,' said Bev. 'He'd never gone missing before and you worry about letting him out because of what he looks like and the fact he's so friendly.
'You just can't think why these people would do such a horrible thing. Part of me thinks they might not have even realised that he was a dog because of him having no hair so they just bullied him.
'It's horrible because he loves people so much he probably thought it was just a game and all they were interested in was hurting him.
'He was really shaken and cowered in to me when he got back to me. He was swollen and bruised around his face and rear end.' Worried Bev took her beloved six-year-old mutt to Broadway Veterinary Hospital where he had a check-up.

Vet Adela Navarro said: 'He had a few cuts and was bruised and a little shaken up. We asked the owner to keep an eye on his stools for internal bleeding as a precaution.'
Distraught Bev's main worry when the pooch was missing was the fact that he wouldn't have been getting special care for his unusual needs.
She said: 'Because he's bald I have to put factor 50 sun-tan lotion on him so he doesn't burn. And because his lower teeth jut out he has to have his food in small pieces. He can't chew properly so you have to break it down for him.
'My main worry was that anyone who found him and tried to care for him wouldn't realise what's required to keep him well, so we got 25 posters up around the area pretty quick.'
Thankfully, charmer Mugly is now safely recovering at home but has sadly lost some of his sparkle. Bev said: 'He's a big character in our house and I was so relieved to have him back but he's definitely lost some of his trust.
'He seems a bit unsure when you are playing with him and his toys when normally he wouldn't think twice. I hope the police catch these people and teach them a lesson.'

Eight years old record breaking daredevil wing-walks at 100mph on grandfather's bi-plane

2009-08-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

A daredevil flew into the record books yesterday after becoming the world's youngest wing-walker - at just eight years old.
Fearless Tiger Brewer was strapped to the wings of his grandfather's biplane and reached speeds of 100mph at 1,000ft.
He claimed the world record from the previous holder - Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason's son, Guy, who held the record after wing-walking aged 11 in 2001.

Speaking after the five-minute flight, he said: 'It was quite scary but once I was up there it was really really good.
'The view was amazing, everything looked so small I could see everyone below but couldn't make out who was who.
'I want to do it again now. It really was amazing. The only thing that hurt was the windburn, but apart from that I loved it.'

The trip was arranged by Tiger's grandfather Vic Norman, who owns the only formation wing-walking team in the world, Team Guinot.
He also piloted the plane during the record-breaking flight.

Tiger was strapped on top the wings of a Boeing Spearman biplane and took to the skies from RFC Rendcomb Airfield near Cirencester, at 11am.
He was watched by proud dad Colin, 42, a television director, mum Zoe, 39, an interior designer, and five-year-old sister Flame.

Colin, of Willesden, north London, said: 'I am so proud of Tiger I can't believe he has done it.
'This time last year he wouldn't even attempt a big water slide and now he has been on top of an aeroplane. I am so pleased.
'He was absolutely fantastic but there was no pressure. We said to him earlier that he didn't have to go through with it if he didn't want to, but he was determined.
'It was amazing to see him on top of the plane, he was a bit nervous but it has been a great personal achievement.'
Proud grandfather Vic, 61, said it was fantastic to take one of his seven grandchildren up in the air.
He said: 'He looked slightly nervous at first but he soon relaxed and looked like he was really enjoying it.
'We had a code to let me know if he wanted to go down but he didn't use it.
'I am really really proud to have taken him up and I am so pleased he now has the world record for the youngest wing-walker.
'It's something he can carry with him for the rest of his life. I am sure I will take him up again.
'He shares my passion for flying and it will be a very special experience for us both.'

Amazing miracle Mosha the elephant is fitted with another prosthetic leg after landmine tragedy

2009-08-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Victims of landmines come in all shapes and sizes and Mosha the elephant is no exception.

Mosha, a baby elephant from Thailand, became the world's first pachyderm to be fitted with a prosthetic limb in 2007.

But the three-year-old has been growing so quickly she's outgrown two previous artificial legs and is now on her third.

Amazingly, Mosha is not the only elephant to be fitted with an artificial limb.

Another landmine victim, Motola, will also receive a prosthetic leg this weekend - 10 years after losing her left leg.

'I do hope she will accept the new leg. It would be wonderful to see Motola and Baby Mosha walking together side-by-side," said Soraida Salvala, secretary general of the charity Friends of the Asian Elephant.

Motola was injured in 1999 while she was working at a logging camp along the Myanmar-Thailand border. The area is known to be covered in land mines.

Her badly injured foot was amputated and the elephant managed to hobble along on three legs after the operation.

She was fitted with a canvas, shoe-like device two years ago, but will receive her own tailor-made artificial leg this weekend.

'It has been 10 years now, but in all these long years Motola enjoyed a happy life, walking out of her shelter for a sun bath,' said Salvala.

Experts in Thailand have already made casts of Motola's injured left foot for the permanent plastic leg. It must be strong enough to support the 48-year-old's three-ton weight.

Although Motola is the second elephant to receive an artificial leg, she has already been in the record books following her injury.

During the operation to remove her left foot, she received enough anaesthetic to knock out 70 people - a fact that put her into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2000.

Motola's new leg is being constructed by the Prostheses Foundation, an organisation that usually makes cheap but effective artificial limbs for human amputees.

The injuries of the two elephants have highlighted the difficulties facing the majestic creatures in Thailand.

Both are now being cared for at the Elephant Hospital in Northern Thailand. The hospital was set up by the FAE and is the only elephant hospital in the world.

It has treated thousands of elephants for ailments ranging from eye infection to gunshot wounds.

A number of elephants have also been injured by land mines, but the charity says this is just one problem facing the animals in Thailand.

They say the number of domesticated pachyderms has dropped from 13,400 in 1950 to today's estimated 2,500, while the number of wild elephants has also dropped dramatically.

Britain's 9,000 years oldest house gives a glimpse of post-Ice Age domesticity

2009-08-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

Built 3,000 years before the miracle of Stonehenge, this is Britain's oldest and best preserved house.

The remains of the strongly built shelter, discovered on the Isle of Man, provide a rare window into the domestic life of hunter-gatherers 9,000 years ago.

Unearthed by accident during extension work to the island's airport runway, the 23ft wide pit is giving up extraordinary archaeological secrets.

Most exciting is the revelation that the people of the mesolithic age, long regarded as nomads who wandered ancient Britain in search of food, were actually very good at settling down.

In fact, 12,000 pieces of worked flint, along with a stockpile of tools, show that the homeowners were in residence for long periods at a time. Not to mention the buried mounds of hazelnut shells found around the house - a strong hint of what the ancient inhabitants nibbled for dinner.

It is thought the discarded shells were thrown into the fire and then swept out to the edges of the property in an ancient housework ritual.

A ring of postholes around the edge of the pit, along with carbonised timbers, suggests the building's supports were about six inches thick and far from a makeshift shelter.

Manx National Heritage field archaeologist Andrew Johnson confirmed the building showed that people from this time were settled for long periods.

'The received wisdom is that 8,000 years ago people constantly moved through the landscape as nomads, gathering their food from the land, rather than staying put and farming and harvesting it,' he said.

'But this building was constructed from substantial pieces of timber, and had a hearth for cooking and warmth.

Stunning new pictures of Mars show half-mile wide crater complete with sand dunes

2009-08-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

It is one of the most dramatic images to ever emerge from Mars.

In fact, this extraordinary photograph is so clear that even the sand dunes at the base of the half-mile wide canyon are visible.

Experts even believe that they can see the tracks of a Mars lander on the left-hand corner of the Victoria Crater.

The image, taken by Nasa, shows in vivid detail the canyon which has lain undisturbed for somewhere between 10million and 100million years.

Its peaceful history was only broken when a Nasa rover landed in 2006 and explored the area until August last year, leaving behind its trademark tracks.

The space organisation's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter beaned down this stunning shot of the 800-metre-wide crater.

The High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, which took the camera, has been a useful aide in Mars exploration.

Its images helped the Mars Opportunity rover navigate around the edge of the crater, and even take cover when winds kicked up a dust-storm in 2007.

Although the image looks like a 'top-down' shot, it was actually taken at an angle more akin to a passenger looking out of a plane window, allowing NASA to see more of the steep walls of the crater.

Another image from the HiRISE captures a 'dust devil' leaving a trail and casting a shadow.

The whirlwinds form as the ground heats up during the daytime, which warms the air immediately above the surface.

The hot layer of air rises and the cooler air above falls, and a horizontal gust of wind causes the air and any dust to rotate.

Early estimates pin Victoria Crater at somewhere between 10 million and 100 million years old, but the rocks within the depression themselves are likely much older - as in a few billion years in age, researchers said.

Daredevil stunt performs by high priest father 80ft above ground without a safety net

2009-08-15T12:35:00.000-07:00

A priest performed a dangerous tight-rope stunt with no safety equipment 80ft above ground after a last minute hitch in plans for his charity fundraiser.

Father Jerome Lloyd was supposed to be carried along the rope on the back of a circus performer in scenes reminiscent of Frenchman Charles Blondin in 1859.

Blondin made it across a high-wire suspended 160ft above the Niagara Falls with his manager on his back.

Unfortunately, Father Lloyd's stunt had to be adapted at the last minute after professional tight-rope walker Chico Marinhos was unable to lift the 12.5st priest.

Father Lloyd said Zippos Circus performer Marinhos was unable to stand up once he was on his shoulders as he had nothing to lever himself up with upon the Big Top.

Father Lloyd, who was raising money for charity, said there was nothing else they could do other than for him to walk across the rope himself by holding on to Marinhos' shoulders as he crossed it in front of him.

He said of the stunt in Hove, East Sussex: 'It did actually feel fine. I wasn't really at all nervous as I'm not scared of heights.

'The only thing I was concerned about was that I would make Chico nervous.'

Father Lloyd, 43, a missionary priest from the National Catholic Apostolic Church, carried out the stunt wearing his traditional soutane and saturno.

He was raising money for the Sussex Beacon charity, which provides specialist care and support for people living with HIV.

In June Columbian Marinhos carried out another of Blondin's stunts by walking the high-wire and cooking himself an omelette halfway across.

Zippos Circus is at Hove Lawns in Hove until August 23.

Daredevil photographer captures Amazing monster wave just moments before it crashes over surfer

2009-08-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

This breathtaking picture captures the seconds before a daring surfer is engulfed by a monster wave.

The spectacular shot was taken by surfer-turned-photographer Clark Little, who captured the incredible scene on Ke Iki beach, in Hawaii.

The massive shorebreak was more than 8ft tall but luckily the surfer survived unscathed.

Such shorebreaks, caused when a wave hits the shallow water at the sand, are powerful enough to drag down unsuspecting surfers and have been known to cause neck and back injuries as it breaks.

But Mr Little, from Oahu, Hawaii, is not afraid to jump into the water to capture the incredible power of the ocean on camera.

The 40-year-old, who has been a photographer for just two years, leans on his 35 years' surfing experience to knows when to be in the right place at the right time.

His efforts can involve actually getting into the waves themselves, which can be up to 5ft high.

Mr Little uses a Nikon camera, which is protected with a waterproof housing and takes pictures at nine frames per second.

While taking the pictures seems fraught with danger, the father-of-two says that he knows the ocean and his limits.

He said: 'I just use my surfing experience and go in the waves.

'I love the feeling of getting into the waves, I am addicted to shooting the shorebreaks but you need to know your limits and the ocean.'

Scary moment an eagle launches a mid-air attack on a swan more than twice its size

2009-08-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

This is the moment when an unsuspecting swan is ferociously attacked in mid-flight by an eagle who is half its size.

The adult trumpeter swan was flying over a river when the bald eagle swooped out of nowhere bearing its talons.

The eagle, with its massive two metre-wide wings outstretched, landed on the swan.

But remarkably after a five second struggle the plucky swan escaped the eagle's clutches and managed to fly down to the water.

Smarting from its defeat the eagle, with its distinctive dark brown and white feathers, headed for some nearby trees.

The stunning spectacle was captured by an amateur photographer Kelly Munday.

The mum-of-two was watching the swan fly with a mate over the Lakelse River, in Terrace, British Columbia, when the eagle attacked.

She said: 'I was photographing the swans when the bald eagle came out of nowhere and attacked one of them.

'They struggled for about five seconds and then the swan broke free, flew down to the water and seemed to be fine.

'It was a spectacular few seconds and I was lucky enough to capture it.'

The bald eagle normally eats smaller prey such as seagulls and fish but is known for its opportunist nature.

Grahame Madge, a conservation spokesman for the RSPB, said: 'The bald eagle, America's national symbol, is often believed to be a supreme predator.

'However, these 'magnificent' birds are usually happiest feeding on fish or scavenging for carrion along the tideline.

'It was clearly an ambitious bird if it felt able to take on a bird the size of a trumpeter swan - one of the few birds even larger than a bald eagle.'

Meet Koda the world's smallest horse... who was also born a dwarf

2009-08-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

He is so tiny, visitors often assume he's a stuffed toy.

Standing at 59cm tall, if Koda the horse wants an equal he has to turn to the vetinary cat for company.

The 'American miniature' horse - who suffers the double-whammy of being born a dwarf - has had a bout of health problems caused by his size, but he is now recovering and enjoying the life of a pampered pet.

He is so tiny, visitors often assume he's a stuffed toy.

Standing at 59cm tall, if Koda the horse wants an equal he has to turn to the vetinary cat for company.

The 'American miniature' horse - who suffers the double-whammy of being born a dwarf - has had a bout of health problems caused by his size, but he is now recovering and enjoying the life of a pampered pet.

The cheeky 'American miniature' horse was always meant to be small but at birth vets soon realised he was dinky even for his breed.

'He was no bigger than a cat,' said his vet Andy Lynch. 'He was diagnosed as a dwarf soon after birth.'

Koda's condition is rare and Lynch is amazed that he's still alive and kicking at 13-months-old despite a torrent of health problems.

Brave Koda has had lots of surgery to correct his stumpy, buckled legs but that hasn't helped his peculiar face. His lower jaw juts out and he has bulging eyes, upturned nostrils and a wrinkled nose.

'He had a punky look, a fuzzy forelock and his mane stuck up like a mohawk,' Dr Lynch said.

Koda's poor health prognosis left Dr Lynch with little doubt he should be put down.
But veterinary nurse Karen Stephenson, 23, was astounded by the resilience and spirit of the pint-sized pony.

'I'd never seen a miniature horse and I just thought him amazing,' she said.

'I fell in love with him as soon as I saw him and thought he deserved a go at some good quality life, so I took him on.'

Dr Lynch has performed about £5,000 worth of leg surgery on Koda, but his total vet's bill is expected to top £15,000.

The next step is extensive dentistry to remove protruding adult teeth that won't fit in his little mouth.

He has recovered well from every operation so far.

'He's very brave and takes his medicine like a little man,' said Dr Lynch.

'He's everyone's friend but he's also got a very naughty streak and he'll chew just about anything,' he added.

Amazinge images of Betelgeuse reveal how explosive red supergiant loses mass

2009-07-31T15:10:00.000-07:00

It looks like a catastrophic explosion in the latest sci-fi action thriller but this awe-inspiring image is actually based on the latest state-of-the-art space imaging.

The artist’s impression, inspired by the sharpest ever views of the supergiant star Betelgeuse, reveals an enormous plume of gas almost as big as our own Solar System blasting outwards.

The discoveries, revealed by the latest techniques on the European Space Agency’s Very Large Telescope, could help unravel why the mammoth plasma ball spews out material at such an incredible speed.

It looks like a catastrophic explosion in the latest sci-fi action thriller but this awe-inspiring image is actually based on the latest state-of-the-art space imaging.

The artist’s impression, inspired by the sharpest ever views of the supergiant star Betelgeuse, reveals an enormous plume of gas almost as big as our own Solar System blasting outwards.

The discoveries, revealed by the latest techniques on the European Space Agency’s Very Large Telescope, could help unravel why the mammoth plasma ball spews out material at such an incredible speed.

Almost 1,000 times larger than our sun, Betelgeuse is the second largest star in the constellation of Orion and one of the biggest stars known to man.

The red supergiant is also one of the most luminous stars, emitting 100,000 times more light than the Sun.

For decades, astronomers have struggled to explain how the mysterious red supergiants expel such vast amounts of material. They can shed the mass of the Sun in just 10,000 years.

One theory was that the loss could be shed from areas above the star’s polar caps as they rotate.

But the two teams, who have studied the supergiant with the NACO and AMBER instruments on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, have concluded that it is powerful gas motions within the star that force out the huge mass of gas.

One team captured the sharpest image to date of Betelgeuse using NACO, an adaptive optics instrument, and a ‘lucky imaging’ technique, which combines the sharpest exposures to surpass the accuracy of a long exposure.

The resulting image approaches the theoretical limit of resolution possible with the 8-metre telescope. It is so sharp it could even spot a tennis ball on the International Space Station from Earth.

‘Thanks to these outstanding images, we have detected a large plume of gas extending into space from the surface of Betelgeuse,’ lead researcher Pierre Kervella from the Paris Observatory told the website PhysOrg.

The plume bursts out to at least six times the diameter of the star - about the distance from Sun to Neptune.

‘This is a clear indication that the whole outer shell of the star is not shedding matter evenly in all directions,’ adds Kervella.

Meanwhile, results from AMBER revealed intense up-and-down motion of gas within Betelgeuse’s atmosphere.

Keiichi Ohnaka from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany, said: 'Our AMBER observations are the sharpest observations of any kind ever made of Betelgeuse.

'Moreover, we detected how the gas is moving in different areas of Betelgeuse’s surface - the first time this has been done for a star other than the Sun.

Combined, the unrivalled observations have led the astronomers to propose that these large-scale gas motions roiling under Betelgeuse’s red surface are behind the ejection of the massive plume into space.

Awesome giant anvil-shaped cloud photographed by Space Station

2009-07-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

A giant, anvil-shaped cloud bubbles up towards the Earth's stratosphere, looming over West Africa.

The amazing formation would be invisible to anyone on the ground and would even be obscure from a regular passenger jet since they can reach up to 75,000ft.

But astronauts captured the astonishing picture from hundreds of miles up as they orbited the globe on the International Space Station.

Anvil clouds are formed mostly from ice and normally form in the upper parts of thunderstorms. They get their shape from the fact that rising warm air in thunderstorms expands and spreads out as the air bumps up against the bottom of the stratosphere.

Streaks of snow are often seen falling out of the edges of anvils. This light snow usually evaporates as it falls through the relatively dry air surrounding the upper part of the thunderstorm.

Images released today showed Tom Marshburn and Christopher Cassidy doing final maintenance work on the exterior of the complex ahead of their departure today.

The four-hour and 54-minute procedure involved rewiring, camera setup, tidying cables and installing handrails and a portable foot restraint to aid future spacewalkers.

The five spacewalks together spanned a total of 30 hours.

The team from the visiting Endeavour shuttle fitted Japan's new outdoor experiments platform with television cameras, completing the final task for the £1.45 billion Kibo complex.

'Congratulations, you guys just completed the ... assembly,' Mission Control radioed once the second camera was secured.

'I can verify from up close it is, indeed, a beautiful laboratory.'

Space shuttle Endeavour's astronauts are inspecting their ship to make sure it's safe for Friday's landing.

The survey of the wings and nose, being conducted Wednesday morning, is standard before a shuttle returns to Earth.

Nasa wants to make sure Endeavour's heat shield was not pierced by micrometeorites or space junk during its two weeks in orbit. The astronauts used a laser-tipped boom to check for damage.

Endeavour and its crew of seven left the international space station Tuesday.

As the inspection was under way, an unmanned Russian vessel carrying several-thousand pounds of supplies docked at the station. Commander Gennady Padalka had to manually guide the craft in because of a problem with its automatic system.

Tiny Monkey Cowboy magic at the rodeo as primate rounds up sheep riding a border collie

2009-07-25T18:01:00.000-07:00

Dogs can be darned tricky critters.

So when you're in the saddle hold tight, keep your hat on and above all, let him know who's boss.

This, at least, is how this tiny cowboy has stayed king of the rodeo for 18 years. That and his fabulous outfit of course.

From the moment he rides into the rodeo ring on the back of his border collie, Whiplash the capuchin monkey is the star of the show.

With the help of his trusty steed, he rounds up a flock of startled sheep. Then there's the crowd's favourite 'hi-ho silver' moment when the collie becomes a bucking bronco and Whiplash rides tall in the saddle.

Well, as tall as a 12in cowboy can.

His owner, Tommy Lucia, 67, dismisses claims from animal campaigners that Whiplash would be better off in the rainforests of Central or South America, his native habitat.

'I rescued him from a stinking cage in Florida when he was just a baby and I can assure you he'd let me know if life wasn't good,' he declared.

Mr Lucia and Whiplash are regulars at the rodeo in Big Spring, Texas.

But their fan base is rapidly growing. Like most 21-year-olds, Whiplash is on Facebook.

And after starring in a TV ad for a taco restaurant chain, he is also an Internet hit, being seen by millions on YouTube.

Mr Lucia says Whiplash keeps his collies on a short rein.

'The sheepdogs know their place and he curses them like he does me if they are not doing what he says,' he said.

'He's got such a strong will you never quite know what he's going to do - there's always a surprise. But he's a natural in the saddle.

'When he's done for the day he goes to our motor home for dinner. His favourite foods are pears, apples, bananas and especially strawberries.'