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.
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
A diver attempts to control rising numbers of lionfish by feeding the venomous species to Caribbean reef sharks .
MOUTH OPEN wide, this little stoat appears to be in mid-song as he belts out a tune for his onlookers .
A hungry hippo is seconds away from catching a bird in its gigantic jaws .
A striped marlin means business as it spots lunch and spears a small fish .
A lively lemon shark grins into the camera and showcases his impressive teeth .
PRANKSTER Dom Joly was so livid when he was slapped with a parking ticket that he took to Twitter to vent his anger – only to discover he was the victim of his own gag! The comic got a taste of his own medicine when he was tricked by a fellow joker for the first time in a decade .
IN THE not so MISTY MOUNTAINS of Wiltshire, there lies an abandoned hobbit house .
A middle spotted woodpecker swoops into her nest and feeds her young in a forest in Trentino, Italy .
A pair of BEAUTIFUL rescue sea turtles spot their catch in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef .
FINALLY catching a meal, a pair of great white egrets fight over their dinner .
FLOATING effortlessly on his back, this little otter laps up a rare glimmer of English spring sunshine .