Take care! It's a jungle out there!

The elephant in the park.

One the the 40 beautiful Elephants dotted around the city, 

in a marvellous fund raising scheme for St Luke's Hospice. 

Giraffa Camelopardalis

It is quite rare to spot two even-toed ungulate mammals in this part of the city,

but they seem to be at home in this student accommodation block near the university.

Happy New Year

Cat - Pet or Predator?

Recent figures from the Mammal Society estimate 

that UK cats catch 275 million prey items each year, of which 55 million are birds.

Body Language

I think this animal's body language is posing the fundamental Dirty Harry Question.

"Do you feel lucky punk?"

"Go on, do ya?"

                                                   Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry, 1971.

Springtime on Dartmoor

Watch the birdie.

A bull in the coffee shop

An unusual dining companion in the courtyard at Buckland Abbey.

 

The Monarch of the Glen

I came across this three metre high  beast for sale in a local garden centre.

Every small, suburban garden should have one.

Urban Wildlife

The range and diversity of animals spotted in the city streets increases each year.

In the Spring a .....

.... young toad's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

Adapted from Locksley Hall

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson

 The much smaller males clasp the much larger females 

in a special hold known as "Amplexus" during mating.

These two were making their way across the patio in our garden yesterday.

When the doors close at the end of the day,

who knows what goes on?

Here Kitty Kitty.

Today is "International Take Your Pet to Work Day".

Dogs have Masters ......

...... Cats Have Staff.

Cows can be identified by their nose prints.

The cow is of the bovine ilk;

        One end is moo, the other, milk.
                                                    

                                                                                                                 Ogden Nash

Waiting for the Ark.

The rain just goes on and on.

Animals seem to have a sixth sense.

Many are gathering on high ground waiting for Noah's arrival.

Sheep may safely graze.

Another group of plastic animals has appeared, this time outside The Treasury Restaurant, next to St Andrew's Church.

They join the herd of white cows in the Royal William Yard.



What we need now are pigs!

Animal Farm

On Thursday we went to the Garden Centre to look for some new plants for the patio but I got side tracked by this new line of garden statues that are are stocking this year.

They are just short of life size, don't need feeding, exercising or mucking out, they don't make any noise when you are trying to sleep, and of course will never cost you veterinary fees. A townie's dream pet.