Are you ready for another heartwarming visit to the Department of Unexpected Interspecies Friendship? In Black Mountains, Wales there lives a Shetland pony mare who, despite already having a foal of her own, took an orphan lamb into her care. She nursed both babies and kept an eye on them while they cuddled together and slept. Yeah, that’s pretty awesome.

Horserider and equine vet Georgina Hirst, 29, did a double take when she spotted the pair feeding while out riding on Hay Bluff. “I was out riding one day and I spotted a baby lamb feeding,” she said. “The first time I saw it I couldn’t quite believe it - I thought I might be imagining it. But then I saw it again and again over the space of about a week.

“It seemed the Shetland mare had adopted the orphaned lamb and was letting it feed from her. Shetlands are not normally so amenable. The lamb was obviously hungry and it’s quite amazing that it learnt to suckle from the mare. It might have just copied the foal.”

The vet, from Hay on the Wye, Powys, added: “Trying to get mares to adopt foals can be very challenging so it’s incredible the mare was so receptive of the lamb. She would even stand guard while the foal and the lamb slept cuddled together.”

When it became apparent that both lamb and foal weren’t receiving adequate nourishment (the mare simply couldn’t produce enough milk for two), Ms Hirst stepped in. Thanks to an identity mark on the lamb, she was able to track down the farmer who retrieved the lamb. Now the lamb is bottle fed and the foal gets all the milk it needs from its big-hearted mum. 

Here’s hoping those two young friends will meet again some day to frolic and reminisce about those early days spent together with mom.

[via Neatorama]

It’s time for another astonishing visit the Department of Awesome Camouflage. This time we’re meeting a very special lizard. You can see the lizard in this photo, right? Don’t worry if you didn’t spot him right away. That just means he’s doing his job.

This is a Satanic Leaf-tailed Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus). Indigenous to the island of Madagascar, these amazing creatures evolved to blend into leafy undergrowth so well that some even have notches in their leaf-shaped tails that make them look even more convincingly like dry, fallen leaves.

“”The gecko’s colouration can be brown or grey and it can transform itself into amazing yellow, green, orange and pink hues. Geckos are one of Madagascar’s most unique species. As they sleep flattened against trees of branches with their heads pointing downwards, they can adjust their body coloration to their surroundings.

When at rest laying head down on a mossy or lichen covered branch, geckos are almost impossible to see. The gecko is a master at disguise. Its large eyes help this nocturnal species hunt its prey, large mouths are capable of tackling oversized prey.””

Visit Dailymail.co.uk to learn more about these awesome creatures.

Photo taken at the Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in Madagascar.

[via Environmental Graffiti, Brainz, and Dailymail.co.uk]

This awesome photograph, which makes a humble ladybug look like an insect superhero in the middle of a daring rescue, was taken by photographer Linden Gledhill in his garden in Pennsylvania.

[via Telegraph.co.uk]

“In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming. Dreaming of belly rubs.”

Jenny Fontana created this awesome illustration of Corgi-thulhu. We should all know better than to try petting one of the Ancient Ones, but this little monster is irresistible. Is that just part of his evil plan or is it the only way to prevent him from destroying us all?

Prints are currently available via Jenny’s Etsy store.

Cthulhu fhtagn.

[via Neatorama]