Animal rescue volunteers have told how a cat riddled with cancer was forced to ripped off its own ears after it was abandoned by its owners. Poor Victoria was so ravaged by cancer that she had torn off her own ears by the time she was discovered wandering the streets by a passer-by distraught at her obvious plight. At first it was thought she had been mauled by a dog but on closer inspection by a vet it became clear the pain of the tumours had been so severe the little black and white cat had made a desperate bid to escape the agony. Victoria was found walking the streets of Newent, Gloucs., and handed over to charity workers at the New Start Cat Rescue Centre who took her in and paid for an operation on her ears. It is costing them thousands of pounds to rehabilitate her but volunteers there say the affectionate feline deserves a new chance at life..
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
From vivid greens to glowing pinks, the colours of the aurora borealis fill the night sky above a snow covered Lapland .
A grand 56-bedroom hotel, once heaving with injured soldiers during the First World War, now lies completely abandoned .
It's incredible to think anyone could live in such horrendous squalor - yet two men have been prosecuted for keeping their homes in such revolting conditions that it was no longer fit for their animals .
CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia .
Fishermen in Myanmar have perfected an unusual fishing technique by carefully balancing on one leg .
BURSTING from the water, a beautiful but deadly Sumatran tiger jumps for food in an Indonesian zoo .
BALANCING on top of a tree, this bear cub puts her climbing skills to the test .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .
With one hand rested on his belly and the other propping his head up, this lazy lizard takes an afternoon break .
Pouncing down on top of his twin brother, these two snow leopard cubs practice their kung-fu moves .
TENNIS was a game made for three according to the first Victorian rule book .