In Pictures: Adorable and awe-inspiring images of the animal kingdom in 2023
PA Reporter
·2-min read
The past year has seemed full of bad news, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East along with extreme weather and a cost-of-living crisis, with the King’s coronation providing one of the few bright spots. And, of course, the animal kingdom continued to delight us.
Here are some of the highlights from the last 12 months.
JANUARY
Competitors take part in The Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain’s 39th Aviemore Sled Dog Rally on forest trails around Loch Morlich, in the shadow of the Cairngorm mountains (Paul Campbell/PA)
FEBRUARY
A newborn Southern white rhinoceros takes its first steps alongside mother Nyala at Dublin Zoo (Niall Carson/PA)
A red ruffed lemur enjoys some traditional red roses to mark Valentine’s Day at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, near Stirling (Andrew Milligan/PA)
MARCH
A baby Grevy’s zebra makes its public debut with its mother Akuna at the West Midlands Safari Park in Bewdley (Aaron Chown/PA)
APRIL
Newborn spring lambs on Nethermorton Farm at Moreton Morrell College in Warwickshire (Jacob King/PA)
MAY
One-year-old North American black bear cubs explore their surroundings in the drive-through enclosure at Woburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire (Joe Giddens/PA)
Tawny owl chicks that hatched in the Kielder Forest in Northumberland were part of a mini baby boom (Owen Humphreys/PA)
JUNE
Newborn alpaca Sir Steveo, named after one of his keepers, ventures outside in the Pets Farm area of Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling (Andrew Milligan/PA)
Grey squirrels in the trees in Liverpool’s Sefton Park (Peter Byrne/PA)
JULY
Polar bear Hope and her cubs, Nanook and Noori, in their new habitat at Peak Wildlife Park near Leek, Staffordshire (Jacob King/PA)
A litter of German Shepherd puppies take part in an appeal by Guide Dogs to dispel stereotypes and misconceptions regarding the breed (Ben Birchall/PA)
AUGUST
Meerkat pup Busta munches on a mealworm at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, near Stirling (Andrew Milligan/PA)
SEPTEMBER
The only surviving critically endangered Amur leopard cub born in Europe this year takes its first steps into its reserve at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster (Danny Lawson/PA)
OCTOBER
Fourteen-year-old pet cat Bella, from Cambridgeshire, broke the Guinness World Record for the loudest purr – 54.6 decibels (Guinness World Records/Whiskas/PA)
A Galapagos tortoise searches for Halloween treats hidden inside a pumpkin at ZSL London Zoo (Jonathan Brady/PA)
NOVEMBER
Fire investigation dog Reqs receives his PDSA Order of Merit medal at Hertfordshire’s Joint Emergency Services Academy, for his devotion to duty and service to society during his 11-year career (Joe Giddens/PA)
DECEMBER
Giant panda Yang Guang says goodbye to visitors at Edinburgh Zoo before keepers got him and his companion Tian Tian ready to make their way back to China (Jane Barlow/PA)
Victoria Beckham looked incredible on Instagram wearing a gold, see-through dress to advertise her perfume, Portofino 97 - from her Victoria Beckham Beauty brand.
TikTok star Paul Arnott is involved in the hunt for missing Jay Slater in Tenerife – but when interviewed by This Morning, he revealed his thoughts on Jay's chances of survival
Glastonbury Festival will not go ahead in 2026, as the Eavis family have confirmed that the iconic music event will take a fallow year "to give the land a rest"
Roy Keane has been a prominent figure in the ITV studio throughout Euro 2024 and he was at it again with a hilarious quip in the build-up to England's last 16 clash
Jude Bellingham scored a stunning overhead kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time in England vs Slovakia - and Man United icon Roy Keane showed a trademark reaction to the goal
The apprentice bricklayer had travelled to a Masca village Airbnb, roughly a 40-minute drive away from his tourist residence, alongside two British acquaintances
King Charles is said to be in discussions to visit his estranged son Prince Harry in America for the first time in years - but his wife and Prince William are reportedly not happy
Corrie's Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina Lucas, has a very different love life to her on-screen alter ego – here we take a look at her romance with an indie-rock band star
Emma Raducanu is playing at Wimbledon! Discover more about the British tennis star's private life and her split from billionaire boyfriend, Carlo Agostinelli. Details...
The six-times winner of England’s best kept village has pulled out of the competition because the smell of raw sewage coming from the river has become unbearable.