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..
Balanced on one leg, a frog assumes the crane kick martial arts stance made famous in the movie The Karate Kid .
The claws come out at meal time as a group of white tailed eagles brawl over road-kill .
With the full moon looming behind him, this polar bear nestles down for the night .
A lazy tree frog, tired of hopping along a branch, chooses the slowest form of transport when it jumps on top of an unsuspecting snail .
These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .
A group of shelter dogs showcase their loveable personalities in a series of passport-style photographs - in the hope of finding their forever homes .
Splashing around in the water, a mother otter and her son are tangled in a family feud .
TRYING their best to wriggle away, three adorable tiger cubs receive their health checks at Chester Zoo .
DASHING through the snow, this little stoat is on the lookout for a Christmas feast .
A pair of snarling foxes go paw-to-paw and brawl after unexpectedly crossing paths .
PERCHED on a branch, this Little Owl plays third wheel to two love birds .
SQUABBLING over the last piece of grain, these hungry squirrels are determined to stock up on as much food as possible .