TAXIDERMY ART BOOK

A KITTEN'S teaparty and rat's playing dominoes are the bizarre creations by one of Britain's great eccentrics pictured in an incredible new book. Other spookily compelling taxidermy images show a bird's funeral complete with casket, a kitten's wedding and a well-dressed stuffed monkey riding a goat. The stuffed curios were all created by Victorian Englishman Walter Potter, who originally displayed his strange taxidermy creatures to the awe-struck paying public from The White Lion Pub which doubled as his museum in Bramber, Sussex. Brought up in Bramber from 1835 and dying in 1918, Potter's museum continued to entertain until 1970, when it passed to the Jamaica Inn of Brighton. In 2003 the surviving collection was auctioned for half-a-million pounds to various buyers from across the world.

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ADORABLE ORANGUTAN TURNS ONE

An adorable orangutan named Pongo celebrates his first birthday at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, America .

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE BUG KIND

THIS alien-like bug would look more at home in outer-space but it can actually be found wriggling around here on Earth .

SURPRISED SQUIRREL

OPEN mouthed and wide eyed this little squirrel appears startled .

BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS BROUGHT TO LIFE

BREATHING life back into old photographs, these black and white images are transformed by colour .

FACES OF ORPHAN VICTIMS OF AGENT ORANGE

These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .

ADORABLE STOAT HUNTS IN THE SNOW

DASHING through the snow, this little stoat is on the lookout for a Christmas feast .

CHUCKLING SEAL

CHUCKLING away, this little seal appears to find something hilarious .

PAWS FOR THOUGHT: POLAR BEAR RELAXES IN SNOW

STARING intently into the camera, a polar bear appears to be lost in thought while relaxing in the snow .

MOUNT BROMO METEOR SHOWER

A SPECTACULAR array of stars fills the night sky as they soar over this active volcano .

KITTEN IN WHEEL

A panic stricken kitten that got her head stuck in a car tyre has been freed by quick thinking RSPCA staff .

THIRSTY SQUIRREL TAKES A BREAK

DIPPING his head into the vase of water, this little squirrel takes a refreshing break from an afternoon of eating .

CHERNOBYL - 28 YEARS ON

TOMORROW (Saturday) marks the 28th anniversary of the nuclear disaster that left the city of Chernobyl devastated .