The mouse that tweets like a bird: Japanese scientists create genetically-modified animal

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER A mouse genetically engineered to tweet like a bird has been created in JapanJapanese scientists have produced a genetically-engineered mouse that tweets like a bird, it was revealed today.A team of researchers at the University of Osaka are breeding genetically modified mice that are prone to miscopying DNA and are more likely to develop mutations.The 'tweeting' mouse was created as part of the team's ‘Evolved Mouse Project. They hope it will shed new light on how languages evolve. ‘Mutations are the driving force of evolution. We have cross-bred the genetically modified mice for generations to see what would happen,’ lead researcher Arikuni Uchimura said.‘We checked the newly born mice one by one... One day we found a mouse that was singing like a bird,’ he told AFP.He...

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Pregnant young woman suffers horrific injuries as leopard attacks her in middle of bustling city

By TOM GARDNER Caged: The fully grown leopard is now kept safely at Assam state Zoo following capture after it had mauled two people in Lalunggaon in Lakhara area of Guwahati.A pregnant woman suffered serious injuries after being badly mauled by a leopard in India - the third such attack there in as many weeks.The big cat clamped its jaws around Akila Bibi's head and arms, leaving her with deep wounds to her scalp, after it when it strayed into the largest city the country's north-east Assam state.The woman, who is in her early twenties, is currently recovering in hospital. Her unborn child, due in three months, was unharmed by the ordeal. Savaged: Akila Bibi, who is in her 20s, is being treated for serious injuries after being attacked by a leopard in GuwahatiHer husband, labourer Abid...

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Tutan-CAT-mun: 18th Century mummified kitty falls out of ceiling as house is being renovated

By DAVID BAKER Petrified: George Hartley and the mummified cat found in an 18th century home during renovationsBringing old homes up to scratch is nothing out of the ordinary for property renovators Andrew and George Hartley,But this professional couple nearly jumped out their skin when greeted by their most recent form of preservation - as a mummified cat fell on them.The couple got a face full of the ancient feline as they removed ceilings from an 18th century property in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. Mummified: Much like the Hartley's discovery, workers at Woburn Abbey were shocked to discover this mummified cat, believed to have been buried to protect the AbbeyMr Hartley was removing plasterwork and ceilings, to assess what work was needed, when the strange discovery fell from within...

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What's up doc? Meet the tubby bunny that guzzles BANANAS

By NINA GOLGOWSKI Bunny hug: The giant white rabbit lies back in its owner's arms in the YouTube video while munching a banana Carrots are a more usual treat for a rabbit, but this oversized bunny clearly prefers bananas. A YouTube video captures the enormous white rabbit cradled in its owner's arms while greedily munching an equally large banana.At times a nibbling and smacking sound can be heard - along with the cameraman's muffled laughter - as the New Zealand White nibbles away happily. Going bananas: Smacking and munching sounds can be heard on the video as the New Zealand White rabbit tucks inThe woman cradling the rabbit speaks to the cameraman in what appears to be Slovenian and holds the peeled banana for her pet. After about a minute's guzzling, the giant rabbit squirms out of her...

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Who's apeing who? The incredible images that show us jus

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Me? Bored? What gives you that idea? The look in his eyes says it all and how like a human this little fella is as he takes it easy in his home habitat of The CongoIt's been proven that humans are 97 per cent similar to our primate cousins .. but these amazing photographs seem to underline that statistic.British wildlife photographers Anup Shah and Fiona Rogers captured the intriguing portraits while on assignment in Borneo and Indonesia.And the lighthearted collection, which captures the likes of chimpanzees, orangutans, baboons and bonobos in the wild, shows that it's not just use humans who like to monkey around. I feel a little .. sleepy: Bornean Orangutan Petra looks just like a tired baby underlining our similarities with primatesThe photographers have spent...

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There's something p-p-peculiar about him: Rare white penguin spotted in Antarctica

By DANIEL MILLER This rare all-white Chinstrap penguin stands out against his friends as he takes his morning waddle around Antarctica This rare all-white Chinstrap penguin stands out against his friends as he takes his morning waddle around Antarctica.The unusual bird was photographed by naturalist David Stephens during a nature expedition to the Aitcho Islands.Chinstrap penguins' normal black-and-white colouring provides them with camouflage while they dive for fish. All white: The penguin was spotted during a nature expedition to Antarctica Rare: The condition known as leucism only occurs in around 1 in 146,000 penguinsThe condition which causes the whiteness is known as leucism. It differs from albinism which is a total lack of skin pigment.Mr Stephen, who works aboard Lindblad Expeditions'...

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Man's best friend for 30,000 years: Canine skulls discovered in two separate digs reveals historic relationship

-Teeth and jaws show animal was domesticated-One of the oldest domesticated dogs ever found-Hints that man may have domesticated dogs in several places - all dogs aren't evolved from one ancestorBy ROB WAUGH The Altai skull was particularly well preserved, and allowed researchers to measure its teeth, jaws and snout for evidence it was domesticatedDogs have been a loyal companion to mankind for more than 30,000 years, findings reveal. Scientists believe that two 33,000-year-old skulls unearthed in digs in Siberia and Belgium show dogs were domesticated long before any other animal, such as sheep, cows or goats.Researchers from the University of Arizona said the skulls had shorter snouts and wider jaws than undomesticated animals such as wolves, which use their longer snouts and narrower jaws...

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Give us a kiss: Monkey mama plants a smacker on the lips of the orangutan baby that's becoming a star

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Mummy's boy: Orangutan baby Chang kisses his mother 'Lea' at the zoo in Krefeld, GermanyThis little swinger proves he's not too old to give his mother a great big kiss.Adorable one-year-old orangutan Changi was only too happy to take a break from playtime to plant a tender smacker on doting mother Lea.But then it was back to business as usual - aping around his enclosure at Krefeld Zoo in western Germany.Changi, who loves performing to the crowds, was born in 2010 and has quickly become one of the zoo's star attractions. Time for a cuddle: Curious Changi takes a long hard look at the cameraman as he snuggles up to the warmth of his mother's coat Just hanging out: The one-year-old ape shows off some of his gymnastic skills Looking good: Changi was born in July 2010...

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Pipsqueak's big adventure! Pet hamster dragged through catflap by predatory puss is found hiding 100 yards away... in pest controller's home!

By EMMA REYNOLDS Rodent's return: Delighted Callum Chalkley, eight, is reunited with his pet hamster PipsqueakWhen a family's pet hamster went missing and they found his cage ripped open by a cat, they feared the worst. But adventurous Pipsqueak had escaped the clutches of the predatory puss and run down the street to find refuge.The Chalkleys were amazed when the brave furball turned up in the most unlikely of hideouts - a pest controller's garage.Eight-year-old owner Callum had given up hope of seeing his hamster again when he went missing from the family home in Clifton, Herts.But the Siberian hamster, had wriggled free from his feline abductor's claws and raced down the main road, dodging traffic and the dangerous presence of six more cats and a dog. Callum said: 'A cat got Pipsqueak...

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Millions of untrained pet dogs showing signs of aggression warns PDSA as youngster is mauled by bull terrier

By NICHOLA JONES The PDSA found dogs with behavioural problems were biting, snarling and growling at humans and other animals on a weekly basisA million dogs in the UK display signs of aggression towards people because of a lack of basic training, a leading veterinary charity warned last night.The worrying conclusion from a survey by the PDSA comes after a six-year-old girl was mauled on Saturday in a park in Chingford, Essex.Gary Hindley, 56, from Chingford, yesterday admitted allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control and causing injury. Attack: A six-year-old girl has been left scarred for life after she was bitten by a dog at this park in Chingford, Essex The PDSA surveyed 11,000 dog owners and found 87 per cent believe there should be tougher penalties if pets attack a person or...

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