FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters. The art works entitled 'Houndton Tabby', were designed by illustrator and artist Kim Parkhurst, 39, after she combined her love of drawing and Downton Abbey. 'I've been painting portraits of animals in historical costume for some time,” explains New Yorker Kim. “I've taken some familiar and beloved characters whose demeanour, personality, and appearance seemed to translate to certain breeds of dog or cat. 'I got to thinking about Mr Bates' character and storyline, and Brendan Coyle's facial structure, and how he could look hard but also had the warmest, kindest eyes.
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .
INSIDE Britain's last Naval hospital where scurvy was cured looks like an NHS time capsule .
CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia .
An intrepid explorer hopes to be reunited with his travel partner, after his cuddly toy companion was stolen .
Splashing around in the water, a mother otter and her son are tangled in a family feud .
A mining town in Australia’s outback appears to be completely deserted, but its residents have escaped the scorching heat by living in underground caves .
NATURE PAPARAZZIS prove you don't have to be Justin Bieber or Cheryl Cole to attract a pack of photographers .
ARM extended and head flung back, this little chipmunk performs a loose-limbed yoga move .
A terrified moose, trapped in a frozen lake, bobs her head above the icey water and awaits her rescue .
An American black bear mimics John Travolta’s famous Saturday Night Fever dance move by hurling its arm in the air .
AN ARRAY of colours, from pinks to blues and oranges, fill the night sky to create an amazing collection of interstellar patterns .
A disabled sheep is enjoying a new fleece of life after receiving a specially-designed wheelchair .