A woman has spoken of her heartbreak after she was rejected by an adoption agency because of her pregnancy phobia. Kayleigh-Emma Shiel, 30, has always dreamed of becoming a mother, but suffers from tokophobia – a fear of childbirth. Her condition means that she is unable to conceive a child of her own as she is too terrified of pregnancy and the associated pain. Believing that adoption was her only chance of becoming a mother, Kayleigh and her fabricator husband Gary, 47, applied to adopt a child in January this year. But the couple, from Elland, West Yorkshire, were rejected partly due to Kayleigh’s unusual phobia.
LYING flat out on his back, this little meerkat makes the most of the English sunshine .
With one hand rested on his belly and the other propping his head up, this lazy lizard takes an afternoon break .
BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera .
WITH A STERN look of determination on their faces, these adorable pooches perfect their doggy paddle as they dive head first into a swimming pool .
A cheeky owl fancies a game of hide and seek as it peeps out from behind a tree .
Like a scene from a fairytale, THOUSANDS of fireflies create an enchanting glow as they dance in a forest .
HUDDLING under a leaf, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls take shelter from the rain .
Leaping out of the ocean, a group of gentoo penguins fly through the air before landing safely on an iceberg .
A blanket of fog is lit up by the colourful glowing lights of the city below .
EXPERTLY camouflaged, this clever panther chameleon knows how to catch its prey by surprise .
A middle spotted woodpecker swoops into her nest and feeds her young in a forest in Trentino, Italy .
A makeup artist from the West Midlands magically transforms herself into famous cartoon characters using body paint .