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 .
Families in an Indian slum put their lives on the line by living on top of an ACTIVE railway track .
Staring death in the face, a little field mouse bravely confronts a hungry cat .
Gigantic 100ft waves create the perfect playground for dare-devil surfers from across the world .
LYING flat out on his back, this little meerkat makes the most of the English sunshine .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .
A BEAUTIFUL sight for the eyes and the imagination, these liquid sculptures take shape in many different colours and formations .
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
LIFTING their heads high and bumping beaks, these aggressive pelicans clash over fish .
A brave praying mantis makes an unusual friend in an Oriental garden lizard .
DIVING down at a speed of 75mph, this is the moment a hungry osprey caught his prey .