Britain's 'patient zero' Alan Gosling (middle) caught the virus after looking after 160 Muscovy ducks at his home in Buckfastleigh (bottom right, and river shown top right), Devon. He befriended them over a number of years, his family say. The former railway worker is the first ever human case of H5N1 - which kills up to half of the people it infects - recorded in the UK. Fewer than 1,000 people have ever been diagnosed with the strain globally since it emerged in the late 1990s. Officials said Mr Gosling, a mechanical foreman who retired in the 1990s, is in good health and currently in self-isolation. All of his beloved ducks (two pictured top and bottom left), including 20 that lived inside his home, were culled after they tested positive for the virus last week. Mr Gosling's daughter-in-law Ellesha, 26, and husband Richard, 47, said they have been unable to see their relative since the outbreak. She claimed the past couple of weeks have 'been hell for this family', revealing that he begged Hazmat suit-wearing officials not to cull his ducks because they were like his 'closest friends'. His close personal contacts, including anyone who visited his home, have been traced and there is 'no evidence' of the infection having spread to anyone else, the UKHSA said. The current H5N1 outbreak is the largest bird flu crisis ever recorded in Britain, with up to 2million poultry thought to have been culled as part of efforts to control the virus.
Brain scans of 18 dogs were taken by researchers from the Eötvös Loránd University as they played the canines either real speech in or gibberish derived from, either Hungarian or Spanish.
You must really lock your Tigers up!!
Tiger rips off female keeper's hand and mauls two other workers after escaping from its unlocked enclosure at Tokyo safari park
The 10-year-old male Bengal was found roaming the Nasu Safari Park, based in the Tochigi prefecture of Tokyo, when staff were preparing to open at around 8.30am on Wednesday morning.
What is the world coming to?
Pasture eyes! Farmer gives his cows virtual reality goggles so they think they are outside and produce more milk
Izzet Kocak has tried out the headsets on two of his cattle after a study suggested the pleasant scenes make the cows happier and produce more milk. And he said the method had produced some good results, with output increasing from 22 litres of 27 litres a day. Izzet, a cattle farmer from Aksaray, Turkey said: 'They are watching a green pasture and it gives them an emotional boost. They are less stressed.' Photos from his cow shed show one of the bovines sporting the goggles while happily munching on grass.
Just call me Quack-maninoff! Echo the world record-breaking duck shows off her musical talents
Piano playing duck called Echo has astounded her owner with her musical skills The fabulous fowl can also ring a bell, jump and play football with her beak
PUBLISHED: 12:48 AEDT, 6 January 2022 | UPDATED: 18:41 AEDT, 6 January 2022
A dynamic duck which can perform amazing tricks including playing the piano while quacking has astounded her proud owner.
The fabulous fowl called Echo can play football with her beak, ring a bell and jump through her owner's arms on command.
The feathered-phenomenon can also spin around in one direction and jump through a hoop when asked.
Echo the duck amazed her owner by learning to play the piano
Just call me Quack-maninoff! Echo the duck shows off her musical skills | Daily Mail Online
A woman was found dead in field with her body 'mutilated by foxes' in Scotland after she left her car when it broke down in western Scotland. She was found just days before Christmas.
The tiny cubs, one male and one female, were six weeks old when they were found by sugarcane farmers in Nirgude Village, Maharastra, India on January 2.
Two tiny cats squeeze in and out of a vase [Video] | Daily Mail Online
But as the pot is quite a bit bigger than him, the young kitten disappears all the way inside.
And, in a funny surprise, the kitten which immediately emerges has black fur, as though Aspen has been magically transformed.
This, however, is Birch, another kitten fostered by Barb, a self-professed 'Kitten Mom'.
Kittens Birch (right) and Aspen (left) were caught on video performing an unintentional magic trick as one appears to transform into the other inside a pot at their foster carer's home in Fort Wayne, Indiana
!['Kitten Mom' Barb said: 'Surprisingly, Birch, the black kitten, came out of it like some magic trick. When they jumped outside, the brown kitten [had a] peep out while hiding in the pot'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/01/12/16/52844069-10394377-image-m-39_1642005934033.jpg)
'Kitten Mom' Barb said: 'Surprisingly, Birch, the black kitten, came out of it like some magic trick. When they jumped outside, the brown kitten [had a] peep out while hiding in the pot'
I wish people would control their dogs.
Hunt for killer dog that mauled SEVENTEEN penguins to death in a single day with owners to face massive fines
Tasmanian wildlife authorities released a CCTV image hoping to identify a dog. The dog is believed to be responsible for killing 17 little penguins on December 31 after post-mortem analysis.
Being a pet owner can have lots of positive aspects. Pets can be our best friends, confidants, motivators and even our teachers. That's what Yhohan Kim from South Korea thought when he owned his tiny Pomeranian puppy named Snowball. But one thing that he could not imagine is his dog becoming an internet sensation.There is no doubt that the very playful white Pom-pom loves to be the centre of attention. In the beginning it appears to be shy, but the more time passes, its fun loving personality comes out. Pomeranians like Snowball are considered loyal companions who are highly protective of their owners. They make the perfect choice for anyone who is looking for a small dog to serve as a faithful friend.
This is the breathtaking moment a juvenile giraffe runs after a truck full of safari enthusiasts in South Africa.The young male giraffe lives in the wild on the Game Reserve in Northern Kwazulu Natal.The moment has been captured by wildlife photographer and safari guide Matt Yardley. Him and his team made their getaway in the best interest of the guests - and the giraffe. Although the size and speed of the giraffe at first might look frightening, the youngster was simply investigating, and did not behave aggressively in any manner.
Young male giraffe runs after a truck with tourist enthusiasts in South Africa
Matt, 35, from Salt Rock, South Africa, said: "The giraffe was abandoned as a youngster, but released back in the wild, so he still has a lot of wild in him.
[love watching the Giraffe run so fast in the video]
