Think you've had a bad day at the dentist? Meet the tiger whose heart STOPPED while having a filling

By Ian Garland


Even the biggest creatures can be humbled by a toothache.

Vets had to perform CPR on a 160kg Siberian tiger after she suffered a cardiac arrest during a visit to the dentist.

Sayan was undergoing root canal surgery when she suffered a rare reaction two hours into the procedure.

Quick thinking medics at Yorkshire Wildlife Park gave the three-year-old heart massage and two shots of adrenaline and brought her back to life.


Toothache: Vets prepare Sayan for surgery. They decided to operate on her because she had been acting grumpily and showing signs of tooth pain

Complications: Two hours into the operation Sayan's heart rate dropped - due to a rare reaction

Sayan is now recovering from the traumatic dentist experience.

Vet Alan Tevendale, 31, said: 'We noticed a change two hours into the operation and found no pulse or heart beat.

'We then immediately started cardiac massage and gave a shot of intravenous adrenaline. When this didn't work we had to give another shot of adrenaline directly into the heart whilst we continued cardiac massage.'


Reaction: Vets quickly performed heart massage on her and administered two shots of adrenaline, which restarted her heart

Recovery: Sayan is now back on her feet after her traumatic brush with death - and zookeepers say she's already more cheerful

'When I checked again she had a pulse and heartbeat.

'Gradually, she returned to a steady rhythm. After five minutes we took her off ventilation and she managed to breathe herself.

'This is very rare and was extremely stressful – the most stressful experience of my life. We are all so relieved she is now ok.'

Sayan, who weighs around 160 kilos, had been acting grumpily and keepers at the wildlife park in Doncaster decided to get her teeth examined in case they were causing her discomfort.

A specialist dentist was called in last week to examine the tiger’s teeth
After a full check up he opted to perform a root canal filling to a lower canine.

But the operation which should have been straightforward took a dramatic twist.

'There is always a risk with anaesthetics but I have not seen this reaction in a tiger in 27 years and I have worked on hundreds of big cats.,' said dentist Peter Kertesz, who has a practice in Central London.

'The good thing is that we had the expertise to cope with the emergency and, although her heart stopped for seven to ten minutes, Sayan was in good hands and she has made a great recovery.'

Sayan came to Yorkshire Wildlife Park to live in Land of the Tigers last year as part of the Siberian Tiger Breeding Programme.

Fewer than 400 Siberian tigers are left in the wild because of habitat loss and poachers.


Breeding: Sayan came to Yorkshire Wildlife Park to live in Land of the Tigers last year as part of the Siberian Tiger Breeding Programme.

Big cat cupid: She has been paired up with three-year-old male Vladimir after they were introduced on Valentine's Day

She had been kept in a separate but adjacent enclosure to three year-old male Vladimir for eight months while they got acclimatised to each other before being introduced on Valentine’s Day.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park director Cheryl Williams said: 'We are extremely grateful for the expertise and speed of the whole medical team.

'They were brilliant in bringing Sayan back to life.'

'The welfare of our animals is our highest priority and I am delighted to report that Sayan is now back in the Land of The Tigers and seems much better tempered!'


Big cat: Siberian tigers are the world's largest cat. There are only an estimated 400 left in the wild



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When skydiving goes very wrong: Pensioner, 80, left hanging by a thread in terrifying tumble after instructor pushes reluctant adrenalin junkie from p

-Laverne, 80, can be seen shouting 'no!' as she leaps out of the plane
-Pensioner nearly falls out of her harness as it comes loose while hurtling towards ground at 125mph
-Two people have died in similar incidents in the U.S., the British Parachute Association say


By Rob Cooper


A sky-diving pensioner who refused to get out of the plane was left hanging precariously from her instructor as a tandem dive went dangerously wrong.

The 80-year-old desperately tried to cling onto the door after apparently deciding she no longer wanted to do the jump.

As her harness came loose the woman, named Laverne, was left dangling from her instructor as she hurtled towards the ground at 125mph.

Scroll down for video


'Stop': The woman, 80, appears to yell 'no' as she tries to avoid jumping out of the plane in California


Skydiving goes wrong: The woman's back is exposed as she clings to her instructor after her harness slipped. The tandem diver grasps her tightly as they plummet towards the ground at 125mph

Tumble: With the woman dangling from the skydiver they plummet towards the ground in California

In the dramatic video, the woman's tandem diver can be seen clinging onto her safety harness which had slipped down her legs during the jump in California.

As they plummet towards the ground, the woman's top flies up exposing her back to the high-speed winds.

The cameraman - a separate jumper filming the whole experience - comes over to help as the pair get into difficulties.

Just before the jump happened, the woman appears to yell 'no!' - telling her instructor to stop her getting out of the aircraft.

It was her first skydive, which she had been planning for a decade, she says on the video which was published on TheChive.com.

Tony Butler, technical officer at the British Parachute Association, said the pensioner could easily have slipped out of the harness.


High spirits: Laverne, 80, the tandem skydiver, said it was her first ever jump as she is filmed before take-off. She said she had been planning the leap for a decade

Smiling: Laverne looks at the camera as the plane makes it ascent in preparation for the jump

'She was very close to slipping out,' he said. 'You can see from the video the instructor was trying to get to the harness and cling on to it. The person with the video camera was also trying to help.

'It looks that she is a pretty frail and light woman which would have helped.'

'At the start of the clip she is reluctant to jump and they were in a bad position with her holding onto the door frame as they left the plane.

'Things like this have happened in the United States before and there have been two fatalities.


Struggle: After making the ascent, the woman apparently decided she did not want to make the jump which she had been planning for the last decade

Jump: With the woman appearing to resist, she plunges out of the plane. A British Parachute expert said the problems started because they were in the wrong position when they left the aircraft

'There has never been a similar incident in Britain, and safety checks here are a lot more rigorous.'

He added that the light-aircraft would have been travelling at around 70mph as the divers exited the aircraft.

He said that in Britain, if a skydiver wants to pull out at the last minute the plane should return them to the ground and they should not be made to leap out.

At the end of the video the woman can be seen on the ground apparently uninjured but is seen being given some careful attention. Even the instructor is traumatised and has to be consoled by a colleague.


Parachute jump: The woman, 80, and her tandem diver leap from the plane over California. Shortly after leaving the aircraft, they would have been travelling at 125mph


Descent: The separate parachute jumper videoing the jump captures the moment they tumble out of the aircraft


Descent: They plummet towards the ground - but problems quickly start as the woman's harness slips


Difficulties: The instructor clings onto the woman's harness as they get into trouble


Freezing: The woman's back is completely exposed to the elements and rushing wind as her jacket top flies up during the fall


Difficulties: The tandem skydivers hold on to each other as they fall towards the sun-scorched Californian earth


Topple: Rather than being strapped together, the two jumpers' legs are both pointing in different directions


Comforting: The instructor, left, and the woman jumper, 80, right, are helped after they made a successful and safe-landing in California

Video: The woman leaps two minutes into the footage




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Schoolgirl, 4, left in tears after she is banned from primary's annual photo because her hairdresser father made her a bow of hair

By Sadie Whitelocks


A four-year-old was left in tears after being banned from her annual school photograph because of her eye-catching coiffure.

Marcella Marino arrived to have her picture taken with fellow pupils only to be told that her long blonde hair, which was fashioned into a bow, did not adhere to the dress code.

Her hairdresser father, responsible for the updo, said he was shocked by the decision and that he was aiming for a 'simple but elegant style'.

Tearful: Marcella Marino was banned from her school photo because of her unusual updo

The father-of-two, who owns Marcello’s Hair Salon in Ramsgate, Kent, said his daughter had asked him to make her hair ‘like a princess’ for the school photo at her reception class.

But when she arrived at the 210-pupil school she was told her hairstyle breached the dress policy, which outlaws braided hair.

Mr Marino, 42, said he was ‘shocked’ when his daughter returned home to tell him the news.

He said: 'Marcella asked me if I could do her hair like a princess for the school photo and I came up with a simple but elegant style, using her hair to make a bow.

'I thought it looked wonderful and Marcella loved it, but when she went for the school photo she was told she wasn’t allowed to wear her hair in that style because of the dress code.'

Well groomed bunch: Marcella (right) pictured with father Marcello and little sister Amelia

A spokesperson for the school confirmed that hair bands and ribbons must be ‘made of dark colours’ such as maroon, navy blue or black and that hair braids are ‘not allowed’.

Mr Marino, who is married to Yaice and has another daughter Amelia, three, said: 'All the children were told to look smart for the day and that’s why I decided to make a special effort, but in the end it has just caused tears.

'I am so disappointed - I could understand if Marcella arrived with her hair dyed or something, but this is an elegant look which I think the school should be proud of.

'It isn’t a hair braid, it is quite simply a knot in the shape of a bow, and I should know because I’m a hairdresser.'

The school has since notified parents that the photographs were cancelled as there had been a mix-up over dates, however the Marino family have been warned to refrain from putting Marcella’s hair in bow again for either normal class or for the school photo.

Mr Marino added: 'Marcella is so sad - she thought she looked like a princess, but now the school say it is not allowed.'



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Operation Muddy Fox: Trapped cub is rescued from hole caked in sludge and is back to his adorable best after a good scrub

By Chris Parsons


This adorable young fox cub made a not exactly clean escape from a spot of bother when he was hauled from a building site caked in mud.

The four-month-old fox was rescued from an urban building site near London's Canary Wharf, where he had been spotted in a deep muddy hole with no chance of escape.

And far from being just having muddy paws or a light covering of dust, the hapless animal was completely covered in a thick layer of dried sludge from head to foot.


Stuck in the mud: The fox was in dire need of cleaning up when he was rescued from an urban building site in Canary Wharf


On the mend: The fox cub gets a good dunking in some warm water to wash off his thick extra coat of mud after being saved

All better: But after some food, water, and a long scrub down, 'Muddsey' was back to his normal self at the wildlife hospital

However, after being saved by builders on the London site and taken to South Essex Wildlife Hospital in Essex, the fox received some food, water, and most importantly, a nice long scrub down.

He has not been christened 'Muddsey' by staff at the wildlife hospital as a tribute to the condition in which he was found.

Su Schwar who runs the hospital said 'it would certainly have had a pretty awful death if it hadn't been found, it was very cold and in shock but is fine now.

'We felt very sorry for him because he was completely caked and was absolutely petrified.

'The builders were doing some ground work on the site and there were a couple of holes left open.

'None of us knew how long he had been down that hole - it could have been all weekend.'



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The wing commanders: Inside the village where young boys train golden eagles to hunt... and this apprentice's bird boasts a wingspan larger than him

By Anthony Bond


Extreme: Azim and Aybek Shajbyrov are keen to follow in their father's footsteps and continue a family tradition of golden eagle hunting in the village of Bokonbaevo in Kyrgyzstan. Azim is pictured trying to train a golden eagle

For these brothers hoping to follow in their father's footsteps, the sky really is the limit.

But the risks of chasing their dreams are not the fear of failure - but the physical dangers of training one of nature's fiercest predators.

That's because Azim and Aybek Shajbyrov, from the village of Bokonbaevo in Kyrgyzstan, are hoping to emulate their father and continue the family tradition of golden eagle hunting.

Training: Talgarbek Shajbyrov releases his golden eagle during an exercise in Bokonbaevo, Kyrgyzstan, with one of his sons wathing in fascination

These extraordinary pictures show Azim attempting to train a giant golden eagle - one of the most powerful predators in the world.

Despite his diminutive size, he looks confident and self-assured with the enormous bird, which are known to kill foxes, goats and young deer.

His father, Talgarbek, began bird hunting at the age of seven and proudly passes on his knowledge to his young sons who are eager to impress.

The family has two golden eagles and a young falcon which gives the boys the opportunity of learning the unique skill.


Teacher: Talgarbek, pictured, has been bird hunting since the age of seven and proudly passes on his knowledge to his young sons who are eager to impress

Enjoyment: Azim Shajbyrov seems happy with a baby falcon balancing on his head, left, while his father gives water to his golden eagle, right

Golden eagle and falcon hunting is a very old national tradition in Kyrgyzstan. Professional hunters in the country call the practice berkutchy or kusbeguy in Kazakh

It is a life's profession and the relationship between the bird and its master is all-consuming. A close intimacy between both turns into a life-long trust.

With their birds the hunters work in the mountains and participate in hunting festivals called Salburun.

The Golden Eagle is found in Eurasia, North America and parts of Africa. They use their agility and speed combined with powerful talons to catch prey. They nest in high places including cliffs and trees.


Eager to learn: The family has two golden eagles and a young falcon which gives the boys the opportunity of learning the unique skill. Azim, right, and Aybek, left, enjoy playing with the baby falcon


Close: Bolot, an elder of the Shajbyrov family, looks on while sitting near his bird. Golden eagle and falcon hunting is a very old national tradition in Kyrgyzstan



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Agonising death of the King of the Jungle: Young lion doomed to starve after poacher's snare got caught so tightly round his neck he couldn't eat

By Lucy Laing


Desperately injured: The young male lion cub was spotted in Mikumi National Park in Tanzania with a poacher's snare twisted cruelly round his neck

It is a heartrending sight.

Wire snare caught so tightly around his neck he cannot eat, this young male lion is doomed to die a slow and agonising death.

Within a matter of days he will be lying in the African bush gasping his last breath.

Nor is he alone in his grim fate. The sight is increasingly common in parts of the continent when a growing number of lions have fallen victim to poaching.

Some wander by mistake into snares that are meant for other animals such as antelope which are hunted by poachers for bushmeat.

Doomed to die: The wire was twisted so tight that the lion was unable to eat

Others, whoever, are being deliberately poached for their body parts.

There is now a growing demand for lion claws and bones in parts of the Far East for use in traditional medicines.

The huge animals are hunted more and more as a substitute for tigers, whose body parts have traditionally been used for the Chinese medicine market.

Tigers are now so scarce in the wild that poachers have turned to a another target.

A sharp increase in the lion bone trade suggests that these are being swapped for tiger bones. Pelts and claws are also being used.

Dr Pieter Kat, from LionAid, said: 'There has been a huge jump recently in the value of lion bones driven by the traditional medicine market, seeing as we have so few tigers.

'Since tiger bones are now so difficult to obtain there has been a switch to lion bones.'

In the 1990s, 1kg of lion bones were worth just $10, but now that has massively increased to $300 in 2010.

And its reflected in the figures that show the populations of lions are on a serious decline. There were an estimated 200,000 lions in Africa in the sixties. This has dropped massively now to just 23,000- 25,000.


Weak: The animal was so sick it struggled to raise its head as park wardens approached

Lucrative: Many of the snares are set by poachers who then butcher the animals for their parts which are used in traditional Chinese medicine

A source said: 'Only a few weeks ago we saw this lion with a snare around its neck in Mikumi National Park in Tanzania.

'The park rangers tried to track it with the intention of trying to remove the snare from around its neck, but by the time they arrived at the location, the lion had disappeared into the bush.

'It wouldn’t have survived for many more days. Already the wound was gaping, open to infection and covered in flies.

'And it was so tight around its neck that it would have found it impossible to eat. It would have either died from infection or starvation.'

Just several days before that, two lions were found dead in Mikumi National Park, in Northern Tanzania, with their claws removed.

Tanzanian National Park Authorities have anti-poaching patrols, but with 25 per cent of Tanzania’s land set aside for conservation purposes, the area is a large area to police.

There are projects such as the SANA Project in Tanzania, set up by the Saadani Safari Lodge, to allow poorer communities to develop whilst protecting the national park areas.

It is hoped that projects such as these will help protect and preserve the wildlife for the future.


The final journey: The lion slopes off into the long grass of the park where he would soon die either of starvation or infection



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Enough to make your head swim: World's largest pool which cost $1bn and holds 66m gallons is so big you can even sail boats on it

The Crystal Lagoon at San Alfonso del Mar resort, Chile, is large enough for sailing and comes with its own fake beach

By Lyle Brennan


At the San Alfonso del Mar resort in Chile, a quick dip could well turn into a marathon.

Swimming a length in this, the world's largest outdoor pool, would mean stroke after stroke for more than three fifths of a mile - that's 20 Olympic-size swimming pools.

The enormous man-made lagoon is set halfway up the country's Pacific coast, in the city of Algarrobo, and is filled with 66 million gallons of crystal clear seawater.

A little slice of the Pacific: The world's biggest pool is three fifths of a mile long and draws water from the ocean, cleaning it and allowing the sun to warm it to 26C

It also hold the Guinness record for the world's deepest - so if you don't feel like diving 115ft to the bottom, it might be best to bring some spare goggles.

The pool opened in December 2006 after nearly five years of construction work and is said to have set developers back as much as £1billion.

And on top of that eye-watering initial cost, it takes a further £2million a year to keep it in working order.

It uses a computer-controlled suction and filtration system to suck water in from the ocean at one end and pump it out at the other, while the sun warms it to 26C - nine degrees higher than the sea.

The pool's incredible dimensions leave the next biggest floundering in its wake, with the Orthlieb in Morocco measuring a mere 1,575ft long.


Lost at sea: A bather floats on the amazingly clear waters of the vast Crystal Lagoon, at the San Alfonso del Mar resort, Chile


Dazzling blue: A small boat sails round a platform jutting into the lagoon's 20-acre expanse


Big drip: The pool, shown left next to the city of Algarrobo, is thought to have cost £1billion to build and runs up £2million a year in maintenance


Man-made paradise: A computer-generated image of the San Alfonso del Mar resort shows how its semi-circular artificial beaches and filtered waters sit right next to the real thing


Whatever floats your boat: The record-breaking dimensions mean visitors can paddle or sail their way around the pool instead of swimming


By the sea: A couple stroll along the shores of the artificial lake, which is also the world's deepest swimming pool at 115ft



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Status update: Married! Mark Zuckerberg ties the knot in secret ceremony a day after $104billion IPO (and they announced it on Facebook)

Guests were told party was meant to celebrate Chan's graduation
Comes just one day after Facebook went public in mammoth IPO

By Hugo Gye


Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg updated his status to 'married' on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Zuckerberg and 27-year-old Priscilla Chan tied the knot at a small ceremony at his home in Palo Alto, California, capping a busy week for the couple.

And the pair announced their marriage in an unsurprising way - by posting a message on Facebook.

Wed: Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan have married in a surprise ceremony in Palo Alto

The tech mogul took his company public in one of the most anticipated stock offerings in Wall Street history on Friday, which saw the social network valued at $104billion.

And Ms Chan graduated from medical school at the University of California, San Francisco, on Monday, the same day Mr Zuckerberg turned 28.

The couple met at Harvard and have been together for more than nine years.

A source at the wedding said Mr Zuckerberg designed the ring featuring 'a very simple ruby'.


Status update: Mr Zuckerberg announced the news on his own personal Facebook page

Married: The couple have been together for nine years, but did not reveal their engagement

The ceremony took place in Mr Zuckerberg's backyard before fewer than 100 guests, including Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.

The guests all thought they were coming to celebrate Ms Chan's graduation but were told after they arrived that the event was in fact a wedding.

'Everybody was shocked,' the source said.

Rather than his trademark hoodie, Mr Zuckerberg wore a suit for the ceremony, while his bride wore a traditional wedding dress.

Food was served family-style and included dishes from the couple's favorite Palo Alto sushi restaurant.


Couple: Ms Chan and Mr Zuckerberg met when they studied at Harvard and have been together ever since


Guests: Those invited thought they were attending a party to celebrate Ms Chan's graduation

Arrival: Guests were pictured turning up at the Palo Alto home on Saturday afternoon

The two had been planning the marriage for months but were waiting until Ms Chan had graduated to hold the wedding, according to the source.

The timing was not tied to the IPO, he added, since the date the company planned to go public was a 'moving target'.

Despite his strong advocacy of online openness and sharing, and scant regard for web users' desire for privacy, Mr Zuckerberg has long been secretive about his own personal life.

It was not even widely known that the Facebook founder was engaged to Ms Chan, despite the length of their relationship.

Even after Friday's IPO, Mr Zuckerberg remains Facebook's single largest shareholder, with 503.6million shares.

And he controls the company with 56 per cent of its voting stock.


Private: Mr Zuckerberg is known to be secretive about his personal life despite running a social network

Drinks: The Facebook founder ordered large amounts of alcohol in anticipation of the party

The site, which was born in a dorm room eight years ago, has grown into a worldwide network of almost a billion people.

Mr Zuckerberg founded Facebook at Harvard in 2004, in a saga which would later become the basis for Oscar-winning film The Social Network.

He was named as Time's Person of the Year in 2010, aged just 26.

Mr Zuckerberg grew up in Dobbs Ferry, New York.

Flotation: Mr Zuckerberg opened trading on the Nasdaq on Friday, the day of Facebook's IPO

Despite the hype over Friday's initial public offering, the share price fell flat by closing bell, finishing at only 23 cents more than its expected opening price.

Millions of new investors will be wary come next week amid fears as the IPO failed to match expectations.

However, the slightly underwhelming impact of the big day will do little to dent Mr Zuckerberg's mood, considering that he is believed to have landed nearly $20billion from the deal.

He is not alone in striking it rich from the IPO - other Facebook investors to profit include co-founder Eduardo Saverin and U2 frontman Bono.



source:dailymail

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