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.
STRETCHING his little legs in the air, a smiley leaf-tailed gecko breaks free from his old, scaly skin .
A host of websites that are almost twenty years old are collecting a cult following thanks to their retro appeal .
A disabled sheep is enjoying a new fleece of life after receiving a specially-designed wheelchair .
Fishermen in Myanmar have perfected an unusual fishing technique by carefully balancing on one leg .
Raising his arms above his head and lying flat on his back, a polar bear stretches as he sprawls out across the ice .
A pair of adorable polar bear cubs play-fight with each other in the Alaskan snow .
NEVER mind being careful not to choke on your food, this mother bird has a bigger challenge on her hands, as her ravenous offspring impatiently launches its head down into her stomach .
Kevin Silva, 52 from Indiana in the USA, has spent an estimated £65K ($100K) on Batman trinkets over the years, and even keeps his 2,500-item haul in his very own basement 'Bat Cave' .
What lies beneath this building site? Britain's great hope of winning the pre-WW2 arms race against Nazi Germany .
A northern potoo shows it is a master of disguise as it perches on a tree stump and blends into the bark .
WE’RE all familiar with the heart-wrenching pictures of dogs abandoned in animal shelters, but one photographer has found an innovative way of showcasing the pooch’s personality .
