Feb
22
Posted under
Animal planet,
Dogs,
World Animal planet,
World's Largest Animal by admin
The English Mastiff, referred to by virtually all Kennel Clubs simply as the Mastiff, is a breed of large dog descended from the ancient Alaunt through the Pugnaces Britanniae. Distinguishable by enormous size, massive head, and a limited range of colors, but always displaying a black mask, the Mastiff is noted for its gentle temperament. The lineage of modern dogs can be traced back to the early 19th century, and the modern type was stabilised in the 1880s. Following a period of sharp decline, the Mastiff has increased its worldwide popularity.
The former standard specified the coat should be short and close-lying and the color is apricot-fawn, silver-fawn, fawn, or dark fawn-brindle, always with black on the muzzle, ears, and nose and around the eyes.
The greatest weight ever recorded for a dog, 343 pounds (156 kg), was for a Mastiff from England named Aicama Zorba of La Susa, although claims of larger dogs exist. According to the 1989 edition of the Guinness Book of Records, in March 1989, when he was 7 years old, Zorba stood 35 inches (89 cm) at the shoulder and was 8.25 feet (251 cm) from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, about the size of a small donkey. After 2000, the Guinness Book of World Records stopped accepting largest or heaviest pet records.
Feb
07
Posted under
Animal planet,
Lion,
World Animal planet by admin
He’s supposed to be the king of the jungle, but these pictures clearly show who’s in charge.
The male lion cowers his head as he is given an earful by a lioness after a play fight went too far.
The father had pinned his daughter Lusaka to the ground in mock anger after the playful cub had repeatedly nipped his tail.
Yes dear: The male lion cowers as the lioness lets him know exactly how she feels about his playfighting at the National Zoo in Washington D.C.
Courting controversy: The playful cub grabs hold of her dad’s tail as he pretends not to notice.
But the pair’s fun came to a dramatic halt after the mother arrived and bared her teeth in fury at the male.
The remarkable images were recorded by amateur photographer Jennifer Lockridge, who took them at the National Zoo in Washington D.C.
Luke, the male lion, had been pretending not to notice his offspring’s attentions, before joining in a playfight.
Ms Lockridge, 42, said the spotted the drama during a visit to the zoo last month.
She said: ‘I thoroughly enjoyed watching this interaction and Luke has just recently been allowed to interact with his cubs. The zoo has a lion pride consisting of seven cubs from two mothers and Luke is the father of all the cubs.
Cat and mouse: The male has a look that would stop a wildebeest at 50 metres as the female cub makes good her escape.
Daddy’s girl: The cub rolls playfully over on to her back as the male catches up to her.
‘The particular cub, Lusaka, is particularly feisty and is always one of the last ones to go inside when called. Lusaka is definitely a “daddy’s girl” and seems to be the most enamoured with her father.’
She said the way five-month-old Lusaka and her father played together reminded her of human parents and their children.
‘As the cubs have gotten braver, they approach Luke easily wanting to engage him in play.
‘I don’t believe he realised she was biting his tail and he didn’t seem to be very upset. Lusaka has a habit of biting the tails of her siblings as well as the adults.’
Cat fight: Lusaka, a five-month-old cub, is devoted to her father, who has just been allowed near his seven children in the zoo.