Animals in news
01.jpgAsian elephant Luk Chai chases a large football around his enclosure at Taronga Zoo, in New South Wales
10 day old cheetah cub Kiburi opens his eyes, San Diego Zoo Safari Park Animal Care Centre
A lion named Stefani plays with her one-month-old lion cub in their enclosure at Sofia Zoo
An adult sea otter mother swims with her pup on her chest in the Inian Pass, in the Pacific Ocean, off Southeastern Alaska. Photographer Michael Nolan captured the attentive mother caressing her pup while effortlessly backstroking through serene water.
A baby white-naped mangabey monkey (Cercocebus atys lunulatus), born on November 7, is held by its keeper at the Bioparco Zoo in Rome after it was rejected by its mother
First-time mother Mjukuu places a giant protective hand over her unnamed five-week-old baby son at London Zoo
This may look like a creature from a Harry Potter movie - at first glance it looks like a bull has sprouted wings and is about to lift off. The amusing picture was snapped as the bull was chased by a crane, the tallest flying bird in the world. The sight was caught on camera at Keoladeo National Park, in Rajasthan, India, by photographer Jagdeep Rajput, who said people had compared it to Pegasus, the mythical winged horse.
A weird double lizard with two heads has been caught in Rong'an County in southern China's Guangxi Province. Zheng Tuxiu says it was caught by her pet cat: "I was scared by the alien stuff it [the cat] brought home." Curious residents have now been flocking to her home in order to take a look at the unusual creature.
A pink katydid is seen in this photograph by Carol Freeman. Its unusual colour is the result of a genetic mutation known as erythrism, similar to the recessive gene that afflicts albino animals
This white duck was snapped coming in to land yesterday against the snow - and all that can be seen are its orange beak and legs and its two black eyes. Photographer and artist Robert Fuller was out near his home in Yorkshire when he spotted the mallard.
A pelican plays with an empty beer bottle, thinking it is a fish. The sight was captured by Mary Trebilco as she holidayed in Batemans Bay in New South Wales, Australia. She said the bird appeared to be fascinated with the bottle's shiny exterior: "I think he was attracted by the shine and colour, although I don't know why because fish don't usually come in bright green. He dropped it from his mouth but managed to pick it up again and seemed content to let it nestle in his bill for a while."
In years to come this small kingfisher will no doubt talk wistfully of the "one that got away". For despite its best efforts the greedy bird was unable to snatch the large fish that was lying enticingly in a net....