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Amazing Pictures Majestic brown bears go head to head in remarkable 15-minute duel

These two brown bears couldn't have picked a more stunning setting to engage in a spot of rough and tumble.

In front of a spectacular, snow topped mountain range in Alaska, the giant animals took each other to task, with one even taking a crafty low side-swipe.

Despite one of the bears holding a definite weight advantage, the pair grappled and exchanged blows.

But after 15 minutes of hard combat they seemed happy to call it a draw and went hunting for salmon in a nearby river.

The incredible duel was captured on camera by amateur photographer Scott Cromwell during a special bear spotting trip.

He flew for six hours from Homer, Alaska, to Hallow Bay, which is part of the Katmai National Park, also in Alaska, just to see the majestic animals.

Scott, 38, said: 'The guide and pilot flew us over a known area and we spotted a few bears so we landed on the beach a few hundred yards away from them.

'We walked up to about 250ft from them and stood and watched from a dry part of the river bed.

'They instantly quit fishing for salmon in the river and ran out in the open in between us and the mountains.

'The smaller bear came out into the open first but then the bigger one galloped after it making a lot of noise.

'They circled around the whole large area a couple of times and then started wrestling right in front of us - we were no more than 100ft away.

'I couldn't believe what was happening - we had only just got off the plane and this all seemed to have happened instantly.'

Television repairman Scott said the bears battled for 15 minutes before getting bored or hungry and returning to hunting for salmon.

He added: 'I was leaning over the whole time while shooting, trying to get as close to the ground as possible without including any grass in the foreground.

'It truly was the most enjoyable 15 minutes of my life. In fact the whole trip was the best six hours of my life.

'Seeing bears this close really is incredible.'

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

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.

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

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?" '

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.'

Miss Ellie wins title of World's Ugliest Pedigree Dog

There was shampoo, backcombing and enough diva antics to scare the steeliest of postmen but as beauty pageants go not every canine would have been quite so happy to participate.

But for those who did take part in the World's Ugliest Dog Competition at Sonoma-Marin Fair in California it was a question of ugly being the new beautiful.

In the dog-eat-dog, claw-biting contest a truly 'unique' looking creature beat off other hideous hounds to claim the crown for being the world's ugliest pedigree dog.

Miss Ellie, a pure breed Chinese crested hairless from Tennessee, is reported to be around 15 years old, has only a couple of back teeth, cataracts in both her eyes, several moles and pimples and limited hair - with such credentials the other mutts surely could not have stood a chance.

And like every good beauty queen Miss Ellie also had a heartfelt message for her adoring fans. According to her owner come spokesperson, Dawn Goehring, Miss Ellie really hopes to be a 'spokesmodel for rescue dogs of the 'not so cute' kind''.

'Her dream is to travel around to prove that ugly is just a word, and says nothing about how wonderful she is,' she said.

Ellie has come a long way from being kept in a kennel area for much of her life with an owner that saw no purpose for her.

When she was rescued she knew no commands and was not house trained but now rules the roost among her other rescue pals and even attended her owner's wedding in rival white dress and veil.

'Miss Ellie hopes that people get the message that there are plenty of wonderful rescue dogs out there just waiting for a chance,' added her proud owner.

As well as winning a modeling contract from House Of Dog lucky Ellie will also pick up a cheque for $1,000, a trophy to put in her kennel and even a professional photo shoot.

But it was Pabst the boxer who came through as the surprise overall winner of the contest.

His victory was an upset - the first place usually goes to a Chinese crested, like Miss Ellie.

The fabulously toothy four-year-old Boxer, who is also a rescue dog, has a 2in underbite, a large burn scar on his stomach and his nails grow in any direction they feel like.

While looking absolutely ferocious Pabst's bark is worse than his bite and in fact the loveable mutt is reportedly a pussy cat who likes nothing more than to take lots of naps in the sun.

Snap goes the alligator: What one woman saw when she opened her front door

An American woman was forced to make a snappy retreat after an 11-foot alligator took up residence on her doorstep.

Concerned neighbours phoned Belinda Donaldson to warn her not to leave her house when they spotted the giant reptile.

But the Florida woman got the surprise of her life earlier when she realised they weren't joking.

She was forced to phone 911 after the animal refused to budge.

Ms Donaldson, who lives in Westchase, Hillsborough County, was ordered to stay inside while wildlife rescue crews moved the animal.

A wildlife expert arrived to catch the unexpected visitor, but it wasn't giving up its new home easily.

Witnesses said it took the trapper at least an hour to move the alligator, which was then loaded into the back of a truck and taken a distance away.

Alligator sightings are not uncommon in the southern American state as the creatures flourish in the warm environment.

Wildlife experts predict there are an estimated five million of the creatures scattered across the country.

The supermum sheep who gave birth to SIX lambs

Meet Dolly the supermum sheep - who astounded experts by giving birth to six healthy lambs.

The sextuplets were born to two-year-old Dolly, a pedigree Lleyn ewe on April 3 at Crookham Westfield farm, on the Pallinsburn Estate in Cornhill on Tweed, Northumberland.

Estate owner George Farr's sons Ollie, 11, and Jamie, 10, have named the three-week-olds Valerie, Harriet, Scrappy, Rosie, Chunky, and Slim.

The boys are helping Dolly feed her flock.

Farm worker Mark Richardson, 30, said he'd never seen so many lambs from a single ewe.

He said: 'I just went out one morning and there she was with the six lambs.

'I looked round the shed and none of the others had lambed, she was the only one, so they all came from her.

'It was a big surprise. Lleyns usually have two or three lambs, so to have six is very unusual. I have never seen it before.'

Ollie said: 'We have to hand feed them because Dolly has not enough teats for all six of them.

'Some of them take the bottles more easily than others, so we are feeding three out of the six; the three most tame.'

Jamie said: 'They are always hungry.

'We feed them in the morning at eight, at 12, four, then eight in the evening.

'They get through a lot of milk.'

It was Dolly's second crop of lambs and they are all organically fed. The ram is a Texel tup and the shepherd is Anthony King.

The Lleyn is a Welsh breed of hill sheep renowned for their strength, milk production, and mothering ability.

Lleyn Sheep Society spokesman Lynda Barnard said the last record of sextuplets was in 1996.

She said: 'It's not unusual for the breed to produce a lot of lambs but to have six is quite rare.

'They are terrific mothers. If there was any breed was going to rear six it would be a Lleyn.'

The Pallinsburn Estate is a 585.84 hectare mixed arable farm with 125 beef cattle and 138 sheep.

The flock has produced 98 lambs so far this year.

Mark's grandfather, Eck Richardson, had a ewe with six lambs at Rachelfield, Smailholm, near Kelso, in 1975.

Cow gives birth to different breeds

You could argue about it until the cow's come home.

Others would describe it as a moo-t point.

But when these twin calves were born ten days ago, they looked so different that the farmer who owns them has declared then to be completely different breeds.

According to Vic Phillips, you can tell the breeds apart by the colour of their coats.

And when his Aberdeen Angus bull Eric mated with a Simmental cow called Jemima, he says he was blessed with two calves that each continued one of the mating lines.

Mr Phillips, who farms his cattle in Rooksbridge, Somerset, says Ernie has come out a fawn colour and is the same breed as his mother, a Simmental.

And he claims Emily, who is darker shade of black and brown, is an Aberdeen Angus.

Speaking from his 90-acre farm, Mr Phillips said: 'It happens but it is quite rare.

'I thought there must have been a mistake and another cow had given birth as well but it turned out that they were twins.

'We have only been farming for two-and-a-half years this is our first ever set of twins.'

He said he only has one bull, so it is not possible that another bull mated with Jemima.

His wife Trish added: 'Normally when you get twins they are both the same breed but we got one of each which is really rare.

'They are both doing really well and we are delighted with our unusual twins.'

Experts in the field, however, urged some caution before hailing an evoluntionary breakthrough.

Ron McHattie, chief executive of the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, said: 'I suppose if the heifer had mated with two different bulls of different breeds on the same day two different eggs could have been fertilised and she would have conceived twins of different breeds.'

Cattle specialist Sally Wilson from Evolution Farm Vets in Bridgwater, Somerset, said the only way it can happen is if the female mated with two different bulls, of different breeds in the same sitting.

Horse that's allergic to grass

Shrouded in what looks like an ill-fitting Christmas jumper and leg warmers, she cuts a comical figure.

But the plight of Pandora the mare is no laughing matter.

The five-year-old thoroughbred has to be kept covered up because she is allergic to grass.

Even a single blade touching her coat is enough to leave her gasping for breath and covered in large, painful boils.

Her owner, Emily Pearce, has no option but to cover her up with a protective layer of high-tech polyester-based breathable fabric to avoid having to lock her away for her own safety.
She also wears a mask to protect her eyes. She is fed a special mixture of sugarbeet chaff and soya oil, along with 15 anti-histamine tablets a day.

'She does look silly but it is the only thing that helps her,' said Miss Pearce, 24, from Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

Pandora's £185 rug, imported from a specialist firm in Sweden, is usually used to protect a horse from insect bites. It is designed so that it can be buckled around her but leave her moving freely.

The mask, which costs £50, fits snugly over her ears and down to her muzzle and is held in place with Velcro. Although it covers her eyes, it is so fine she can see through it. Miss Pearce, an auxiliary veterinary nurse, bought the 15.2-hand horse for £2,600 in 2007.

Last summer Pandora began to develop a large, itchy lump on her belly at her stables in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

The lump continued to grow and when it was joined by others, Miss Pearce tried steroid injections but they did nothing to relieve Pandora's distress. In the end, a battery of tests was carried out, revealing she was allergic to every type of grass.

It is not clear what caused the condition to appear so suddenly, and there is no cure. Vet Peter Fenton said he had come across only two other cases - and neither was so acute.

Girl, 3, may never smile again after being scarred for life in 'devil dog' attack

A three-year-old girl may never be able to smile again after being scarred for life by a 'devil dog' who had savaged another child months earlier.

The owner of the powerful Japanese Akita fighting dog escaped prosecution for the first attack, which left the boy, 7, requiring 40 stitches, because the animal was on 'secured' property.

But the family of first victim Charlie Faulding were furious the dog wasn't put down and were taking legal action against its owner when another neighbour's child was seriously mauled last week.

Toddler Demi Franklyn was playing with the dog called Tyson outside her home when it suddenly turned on her - breaking her jaw and leaving her with horrific wounds to her head and neck.

The damage to her facial muscles and nerves is so severe she may not be able to smile properly again.

The girl's mother, Mary Davies, 39, said she had left her daughter playing in their back yard - which they share with Tyson's owner - unaware the dog had a violent history.

Demi has undergone one operation at Bradford Royal Infirmary and doctors may need to carry out reconstructive surgery on her jaw as well.

Mother-of-five Miss Davies of Shipley, West Yorkshire, said: 'I am in shock. I just don't understand how this could have happened. That animal had a taste for blood and nothing was done about it. It beggars belief.

'I just want to know why that dog wasn't put down after the first attack. Something wasn't done that should have been and it is my daughter who has paid the price.'

Last June Charlie was savaged when his football bounced into the dog owner's garden three doors away and he went to retrieve it.

The schoolboy suffered severe injuries to his head and legs.

His father Mark Faulding, 36, was alerted by the boy's 12-year-old sister and found him lying unconscious in a pool of blood.

He fought off the dog to rescue him from the neighbour's garden.

Charlie still bears the scars of the savaging and has been left traumatised by the experience, suffering nightmares and refusing to sleep alone. The family has since moved house.

Mr Faulding, a horse trainer, said: 'It is disgusting. To think the dog's owner left this animal unguarded and near children.

'He knew what this dog was capable of but he didn't stop this little girl playing near it. It is simply unbelievable. It didn't even have a muzzle on.

'We have been fighting to have this devil dog destroyed since Charlie was attacked and the only thing that made that happen was another attack on an even younger child. That child could have died.'

The dog's owner Mohammed Asam Bashir has now had Tyson put down. The first attack happened at his family home, where the dog was kept in a secure pen behind a wall and padlocked gate.

The second attack was at his business address at a different location.

Mr Bashir has been unavailable for comment.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed the dog had been 'destroyed' and the attack on Demi was currently under investigation.

'We can confirm this dog was previously involved in an incident which resulted in no further action being taken at the time due to the circumstances,' he said.

Police decided no offence had been committed in the first incident as the dog was kept at home and secured in the garden. The boy had previously been advised not to retrieve the football unaccompanied.

Awesome pink baby elephant has been caught on camera in Africa.

Dolphins perfect bubble rings underwater

SeaWorld has revealed amazing footage of dolphins blowing bubble rings out of their blowholes.
They are captured blowing puffs of air and angling their heads so that they rise in a straight line thereby creating the perfect circles.

The underwater mammals from Sea World Orlando's Dolphin Cove are shown playing with the large bubble rings and spinning them around with their noses. They also bite into them to create smaller circles.
'It's a cool behaviour the dolphins seem to learn from one another,' one trainer said.
Another said it was the 'most incredible thing' he had ever seen.

Most of the playful mammals who display the behaviour are females. This may be because males are preoccupied with socialising with eachother.
SeaWorld has kept dolphins for more than 30 years, but one trainer said they were still surprising them.
'Just when you think you've seen it all, something new comes up,' he said.
'These animals have alot more to teach us.'
Watch the incredible video here...

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