Shock for baby monkey who thought she had discovered a treat

Picking up a piece of nettle, this inquisitive baby rhesus monkey had no idea she was about to get stung.

As she explored her enclosure, the two month old primate reached out and placed the green 'food' into her mouth at Longleat Safari Park, Wiltshire.

At first she appeared unsure about what to do with the leaf before she put it in her mouth.

But seconds later her face grimaced in shock as the nettle gave her a nasty nip before she spat it out in her hand and looked at it puzzlingly.

The hilarious moment was caught on camera by Longleat's deputy head warden Ian Turner who had noticed the two-month-old monkey acting curiously around the nettles.

Ian said: 'I had only hoped to get a quick close-up snap of the baby looking towards me. I didn't quite expect her to begin eating the stinging nettle.

'The monkeys here are normally pre-occupied with visitor cars but this young monkey obviously found something which appeared more interesting.

'Most animals don't generally react in the same way humans do to stinging nettles. I was quite surprised at the reaction this little one had towards it. She was a little shocked.

'She's probably no more than a couple of months old but clearly has no fear.

'We normally feed the monkeys a special primate diet as well as a mix of fruit to feed on but obviously on this occasion the temptation of a stinging nettle seemed irresistible!' But the sting from the nettle appeared to be short-lived as the animal was soon seen with the rest of the troop happily playing.

The monkey is one of more than 100 Rhesus Macaques at Longleat who normally spend their days leaping on thousands of cars that pass through their enclosure each day.

Rhesus macaque monkeys are found throughout south east Asia and across the Indian sub-continent.

In some parts of India they are believed to be sacred and have lived in close contact with humans for centuries.

They are extremely intelligent, naturally inquisitive animals which can learn to manipulate simple tools and distinguish colours and shapes.

They live in family troops of 20 or more and are led by a dominant male.

Agile bird shows off remarkable gymnastic skills

This bearded tit proved quite the acrobat when she landed on an awkward perch.

Lea Roberts photographed the agile bird doing the splits between two reeds in East Tilbury, Essex.

The 42-year-old, from East Tilbury, said: 'I spotted some of the birds flying in and out of the reeds so I decided to wait there with my camera.

'As luck would have it, this one popped up right in front of me and I was able to take a photograph.

'It's characteristic of the birds to perch like this and this one proved quite the gymnast - she managed to stay in the same position for around 15 seconds.

'It's the first time I've captured one of the birds doing this and I'm pretty chuffed.'

Bearded tits are usually spotted flying rapidly across the top of a reedbed.

But rather than having bearded the males have black 'moustaches'.

They are sociable and noisy , their 'ping' calls often being the first clue to their presence. 

They are particularly vulnerable to severe winters and their population has declined in recent years, making them an Amber List species.

Bearded tits are particularly vulnerable to long cold winters, when populations can be reduced to mere handfuls.

The Barkley, LA's most exclusive hotel... for dogs

It's not surprising that the guests of an exclusive hotel in Los Angeles feel like they are treated like top dogs.

They are not worried that the residents at the Four Seasons across the road can order breakfast in bed, have a massage or take a swim in the pool. 

For those staying at the Barkley can do the same, plus much much more -  because it has the reputation of being the most luxurious pet hotel in the world.

To its burgeoning list of guest services, the hotel In Westlake Village, has recently added swimming lessons as an alternative daily exercise routine.

Personal swim instructors take the guests for a splash with pool toys, and life jackets for the less confident swimmers. After the fun, they can relax in a poolside cabana with a cool drink and a gourmet dog treat.

On the spa treatment menu, fur dyeing is now offered. With natural dyes dogs can have their ears, paws, or tail coloured pink, blue or green or be stencilled with fetching leopard spots or zebra stripes, or even an all-American flag design. 

The design stays put for up to four weeks, and causes no harm or discomfort to the dog.

It is also a very quick process involving a paintbrush, some foils and then a trip to the high tech no-heat drying stations that gently ruffle the pooches fur to perfection. 

Since the hotel opened last spring dog parents have the option of having their pets stay on 'Rodeo Drive' or 'Hollywoof Boulevard' in suites that provide individual climate and lighting control, piped soothing music and frequently freshened air. 

Cats have smaller suites but are entertained by television screens featuring birds in flight and the tropical fish swimming in the central tank. 

The streets of 'Rodeo Drive' are lined with 'stores' with names inspired by famous brands around the world, with a pet-friendly twist of course.

Among the stores are Chewnel, Sniffany & Co, and Chewy Vuitton.

Every area of the hotel is under 24-hour surveillance and pet parents can check in on their fur baby via webcam or even on their phone as they sit poolside on their own vacation.

If they feel their pet looks like he's missing home too much, the hotel offers a special list of add-on services to ensure their total comfort.

A dog can get an ice-cream social with his friends, a bedtime biscuit and tummy rub or a limousine ride to McDonalds where the chauffeur will pick them up a cheeseburger, hamburger or McNuggets. 

For those who take their pet's diet as seriously as they take their own, Barkley staff will order in steak from the Four Season's room service menu. 

There's tuna sushi for the cats that don't like their dinner from a tin. 

The Barkley is also home to the Barkley Academy - a pet training facility run by dog trainers that is the first choice for many celebrities, including Sandra Bullock, who submitted her large family of rescued dogs to the programme. 

Barkley trainers Nichola Bond and Vendy Fris offer 'Pawsitive Power' training, utilising only positive methods and rewards. Owners can opt for a full doggie camp, as many celebrities do, and board their dog with the hotel for six weeks. 

An at-home training facility is within the hotel grounds with a dining room, bedroom and kitchen for intensive daily training within a natural environment. 

When the dog graduates - complete with cap and gown ceremony - their behaviour has a life-time guarantee for goodness. 

After a hard day's work, there's the spa. Pet parents can choose from a massage, facial or 'pawdicure' with optional nail jewels and glitter. 

A trained pet masseuse relaxes your dog before his summer trim with a back rub. If your dog prefers to relieve stress with a good game of fetch, there's always the day camp where they can play with fifty pals in a park equipped with all manner of distractions. 

Meet the naked mole rat...ugly, has a tail and holds the secret to eternal youth

Scientists have long searched for an elixir to eternal youth.

But it's unlikely they thought it would come in the shape of the naked mole rat. 

The animal is revolting looking - bald and wrinkly with worm-like tails and walrus-style teeth - but healthy.

These East African animals live for 30 years, seven times longer than a normal rat, and they seem to be immune to cancer. 

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have just finished mapping the mole rat’s genome structure for the first time, in the hope of understanding what keeps them so healthy.

Lead scientist Dr Joao Magalhaes said: ‘The level of resistance these animals have to disease, particularly cancer, might give us clues as to why some creatures are more prone to disease than others.

'We want to establish the naked mole rat as the first model of resistance to chronic diseases of ageing.’ 

All good, so long as they can promise we don’t end up looking like the beast. 

Nothing’s worth that - even living for ever.

Birds of a feather flocking together: Awesome migration pictures captured from 1,000ft up

These amazing pictures, taken from a dilapidated World War Two aeroplane, show a true bird's-eye-view of enormous flocks migrating hundreds of miles across the hemispheres.

The incredible project is the work of German photographer Florian Schulz who has travelled across the globe to document some of nature's greatest events. 

Using a two-seater Piper Cub aircraft, Florian, 35, was able to soar to over 1000ft thousand feet up and capture birds on the wing in Alaska, Canada and Mexico. The plane may be ancient but it is nimble and it allowed dedicated Florian to land almost anywhere.  He slept in a bivouac and his pilot slept in the plane.

He even dived underwater braving -1.5 Celsius temperatures to capture Thick Billed Murre's swimming, before snapping them from above in his plane.

Other species captured on film in his trip included sandpipers in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Eight million of the birds pass through the area over a week as they migrate from Mexico to the Arctic Tundra.

He also pictured frigate birds in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, and American Avocets wading in the afternoon sun on the Colorada River Delta, Mexico. after going to Mexico and seeing how some birds raise their young in freezing temperatures.

Florian said: 'It's a good example to show the interconnectedness to the natural world. They move with the seasons depending on what they need to do like mating, eating and birthing.

'It's fascinating how the same birds adapt from the cold of the high Arctic to the heat of the deserts in the south.'

Meet Robomutt... The world's first bionic dog

A dog who had all four of his paws amputated when he was just a puppy is going walkies once again, thanks to a brand new set of bionic legs.

Naki'o, a Red Heeler cattle dog, was abandoned in a frozen puddle and suffered such severe frostbite that he was left with just stumps to move about on.

His future was looking grim until veterinary surgeon Christie Tomlinson, who was looking for a playmate for her golden retriever, saw him at a Colorado rescue centre.

She said: 'I've always had a soft spot for animals with problems. I knew I had the skills and knowledge to be able to take care of him properly. 

'I took him to work with me every day and was able to x-ray his legs regularly to see how they were developing.'

At first Naki'o was small and light enough to hold himself up on his stumps without too much difficulty.

But as he grew and gained weight it became painful for him to walk, especially on hard surfaces. 

'I felt so bad for him as his condition worsened,' said Christie.

'He is such a hyper and happy dog, but I was having to take him for walks in a stroller and carry him around. 

'He couldn't be a normal dog, he couldn't lead the life he wanted.'

Eventually Naki'o had to crawl along on his tummy at home and at the clinic's daycare centre.

Then Christie heard about a company called Orthopets in Denver, Colorado.

Founded by husband and wife team Martin and Amy Kaufmann, Orthopets began when Martin saw that his experience in creating human orthotic devices could be adapted for animals.

'I felt it was barbaric that in the 20th century we were still amputating dogs' legs,' said Martin, who carried out the operation free of charge.

'I thought we should be using the technology used for humans on our pets. 

'An animal is a much better patient than a human. They have drive, determination and they just won't quit. 

'They don't feel sorry for themselves.'

Since undergoing the pioneering surgery Naki'o can leap and bound with the best of them.

Christie is amazed at her pet's motivation and joy for life. 

'He was always a happy dog, but now he's much more confident,' she said.

'It's great to see him interact with other dogs at the park and play without a care.

'Naki'o can now not only chase after a ball with other dogs, but he can beat them to the catch!'

Orthopets is working to open clinics worldwide. As well as dogs, they have fitted cats, horses, llamas and a stork with state of the art prosthetics.