The carcass, the exact location of which is being kept a secret, was found with serious injuries that were unlikely to have been inflicted by a fox.

It appears the deer was asphyxiated at the windpipe, by canine teeth biting into the neck.

Big cat expert, Rick Minter, says that this is indicative of a kill by a big cat such as a puma or black panther.

“The wound is through the side of the neck and the canines have gone through there to get to the windpipe, and it’s been asphyxiated at the windpipe,” says Mr Minter, author of ‘Big Cats: Facing Britain’s Wild Predators’.  “It’s a fresh carcass, the dogwalker found it warm so we know it’s uncontaminated by any scavenging, and there’s been a lot of tidy, neat consumption.”

To add to the evidence are plaster casts taken of footprints found nearby, similar to that a big cat would leave.

Dog prints will normally leave claw prints, however cat’s claws are retractable and so leave a distinct print with no claw lines.

Experts at the University of Warwick are hoping that any traces of DNA from the kill will be found during testing currently proceeding at a lab in Coventry.

Samples were taken from the deer carcass and testing will determine what, if any, species of cat is responsible.

For the time being however, there is no need to panic, says David Armstrong, head ranger for the National Trust: “There are some very occasional sightings of big cats in the Cotswolds but they have wide territories, so are rarely present in one particular spot for long,” said Mr Armstrong.

“Although people occasionally report a possible big cat from a distance, close up encounters with such cats are rare.”

A quiet and sedate neighbourhood in Calshot, Hampshire, has been flooded with bird watchers eager to catch a glimpse of the Spanish Sparrow.

Professional photographers desperate to take the perfect picture lined up in the streets on lawns and outside garages, looking as if the paparazzi was in town attempting to photograph a Hollywood celebrity.

But this celebrity is a feathered-rarity, all of six-inches long, and is expecting around 2,000 hopeful viewers.

Police have had to cordon off areas to keep things from getting out of control and a local Army base has also been informed that there are some strange activities in town.

A local resident first spotted the bird and thought it was just an odd looking member of the sparrow family.

“When we first spotted it we thought it was just a strange-looking sparrow,” says Claire Milgate-Whitcher who first sighted the bird in her garden.  “But after showing it to a neighbour who is a keen birdwatcher, we realised it was something quite special.”

Public release of the news was delayed so that residents of the small village were able to prepare for the sudden influx of visitors.

Said Simon Ingrim, from the Hampshire Ornithological Society: “We warned residents the discovery would cause what is known as a major twitch.

This type of thing might never happen again so it has generated a lot of excitement.”

The last sighting of a Spanish Sparrow in the UK was 12 years ago.  The latest sighting marks only the 8^th sighting ever recorded.

Such is now the case at a Newcastle watering hole, whose menu items are not only aimed at the paying clientele but also their faithful canine companions.

The Branding Villa in South Gosforth has added an array of speciality beers produced specifically for dogs to their beverage selection, and demand seems to be exceeding supply.

The pub has had to reorder stock after the initial 48 bottles ordered to test the market sold out in just two weeks.

The beers are non-alcoholic ensuring there are no wobbly walks home, but have added meat extract to give the dog’s tastebuds an extra tantalising treat.

Spoilt pooches can also enjoy their own Sunday dinner complete with cat-flavoured gravy, and other specifically designed dishes such as ‘Chicken a la Franc’ – a canine-targeted chicken chasseur – have also proved a hit.

The first dog beer was created in the U.S using a mixture of beef or chicken broth together with malt barley.

All beers are alcohol-free and contain no hops, which can prove toxic if ingested by dogs.

Manager, Dave Carr, said he was looking for something different to add to the pub and decided that dog-friendly was the way to go.

“There aren’t many pubs you can go to with your dog,” Mr Carr said.  “The dogs were drinking water and eating biscuits, so we also created a dog menu, designed for dogs but based on traditional English dishes.

“Dog friendly is really the way it should be.  Pubs should have wooden floors and dogs in front of the fire.”

The hutch, which owner Jason Batterbee claims is worth £10,000, based his design for the lucky rabbit’s home on a log cabin.

The luxurious home’s roof is made of cedar and features stainless steel guttering, a fan to keep the rabbits cool on hot days, and a CCTV system.

Although the base materials for the hutch cost Jason £1,000, the labour involved over a period of nine months has brought the total cost involved to the £10,000 mark.

“The basis for it went out the window,” says Mr Batterbee, who lives near Kings Lynn.  “I get carried away, but I think more is better for them and the bunnies have got a life of luxury.”

Mr Batterbee has plans to further develop the stylish hutch, such as in-house heating and solar panels, but says he will need to run the ideas past his wife first.

Monty Roberts, who grew up watching the antics of Nevada mustangs and holds a special affinity to the subtle cues in by the body language of horses, visited the Horseworld headquarters in Whitchurch last year.

 He was impressed by the charity’s innovative Discovery project, which gives troubled young people a chance to bond with horses, in turn learning about their own relationships with people.

Mr Roberts has become famous for his work in training horses using ‘the rules of the herd’ and was one of the inspirations in the movie Horse Whisperer, based on a novel of the same name.

Speaking about his visit, Mr Roberts said: “As I observed Horseworld’s work it became clear that its main goal is to improve the lives of horses and children.

“By now, a great portion of the horse world knows that these two subjects are the prime motivations of my life.”

This year marks the Diamond Jubilee of the charity and chairman of trustees for Horseworld, John Newman, said that this sets the year off to a great start.

“Our special anniversary year couldn’t have got off to a more positive start than this,” said Mr Newman.

After studying the Beadlet anemone – a native to UK seas – they found that there was a clear indication that bolder anemones were more likely to win when facing off against their more timid opponents. 

Researchers initially tested the boldness of 65 of the seawater creatures by shooting a jet of water at each of them individually by using a syringe.  The sudden shot of water caused the anemones to retract their tentacles as a defence mechanism; the time it took for them to feel confident enough to open up once more was recorded by the team.

Testing was performed on each anenome three times over a period of two weeks.  Although the nine minutes average time for reopening was similar in all anemones there were a few that seemed more adventurous and a little bolder, opening more rapidly after their initial fright.

Although they strongly rely on their stinging cells, known as nematocytes, in battle, the bolder anemones were found to fair better in tentacle–to-tentacle combat, winning more battles regardless of size of either anemone.

It was also discovered that an anemone that lost in battle became more timid at the time of their next fight.

Scientists hope that their study will help with their understanding of aggression and boldness in animals and how this has shaped personalities through their evolution.

The exhibition, which is to explore the role of horses through their domestication approximately 5,000 years ago, global cultural significances in both a working and artistic field, and their importance in society today, will coincide with the biggest event to hit London this year, the Olympic Games.

Horse racing enthusiasts will be intrigued by the lineage tracing of modern thoroughbreds back to just three Arabian stallions imported into England in the 18^th century.

Arabian horses were seen as rich commodities in their early evolution and it was said by early civilisations that angels had created the animals due to their beauty and grace.

The exhibition will feature paintings by George Stubbs, renowned for his artistic portrayals of equines, alongside Saudi Arabian carvings of horses, Islamic and western horse armoury, and a 2,500-year-old miniature gold horse chariot from Persia.

The exhibition will be free and will run from May 24 – September 30.

James Bell, 29, and Mark McCallie, 24, chose to mate their Rottweiler with a Presa Canario, a breed banned in Australia and New Zealand and blamed for the deaths of two women in the United States in separate high profile dog attack incidents.

The Scottish pair claim that the “presweiler” pups will be good with children and will make excellent family pets, but a senior vet at animal charity ‘Dogs Trust’ differs in opinion.

“I am speechless, to say the least,” said veterinary director of Dogs Trust, Paula Boyden.  “It is totally irresponsible and potentially dangerous for these people to experiment like this.”

The Presa Canario is a large, muscular dog and can weigh anywhere up to 160lbs (73kg).  They were originally bred for controlling livestock and are known for their strong and dominant personalities.

Bell and McCallie spent months sourcing a breeder of the unusual dogs who was willing to allow them to breed McCallie’s Rottweiler bitch with a stud Presa Canario.  Finally locating an agreeable breeder in the UK, the pair were successfully bred yielding a litter of puppies, two of which were kept by the owners.  The remainder of the litter were sold.

McCallie insists that the dogs are not being bred for fighting purposes, but rather as well-rounded family pets.

An ad posted on the internet offering his now adult presweiler for breeding describes the dog, Nero, as having a wonderful temperament, being great with children and other house pets, and also making a great guard dog.

Veronica Lynch, whose daughter, Kellie, was mauled to death by a pair of rottweilers in 1989 is horrified at the pair for breeding what she describes as a pure breed ‘experiment’.

“To cross two dangerous breeds beggars belief.  These men could have made a shark on land.”

Two kittens that had not been treated against fleas almost died as a result of anaemia suffered when both small felines were infested with fleas.

The saving grace was the kitten’s mother, who was able to offer the kittens an emergency blood transfusion after her blood was found to positively match that of the young felines.

A veterinary nurse at the Blue Cross animal clinic that treated the kittens said that this situation clearly showed the importance of using regular flea control and the risks involved for owners who neglect a regular parasite control routine.

Owner of the kittens, Louise Heron, 18, from Mitcham, said that she hadn’t fully understood the importance of using flea prevention and urged all pet owners to have their pets treated to ensure they did not suffer.

“I didn’t realise this could happen and I urge anyone with a pet to get them treated for fleas.  It would be horrible to lose kittens or a cat through something like this.”

Following the transfusion, the kittens gained enough strength to be able to feed properly.