“Dangling from cords tied to their ankles, 19 hulking animals were transported out of the South African hills inaccessible by road in the country’s Eastern Cape. And these incredible images show exactly how conservationists used a military helicopter to carry the herd of 1,400-kilo rhinos to their new home, away from poachers. Conservationists put the endangered beasts to sleep and hoisted one at a time for the 15-mile flight. The big move was orchestrated by World Wildlife Fund experts, who yesterday drove the rhinos 1,000 miles to fresh breeding ground in the northern Limpopo province. Today photographer Michael Raimondo, who captured the spectacular scenes, said each animal spent around 20 minutes in the air. He said: ‘It was quite incredible.” w/ photos

“Stunned Nicola Burgess was on cloud nine today after her boyfriend proposed – just moments after they leapt out of a plane at 13,000 feet. Nicola, 30, was skydiving with Daniel Dixon, 32, when he held out his specially made gloves to her and she spotted a message on the palms saying: ‘marry me’. It took her a good few seconds to realize what had just happened, but she had just enough time to accept with a thumbs up before her parachute went off.” w/ photos

“A Christmas pudding believed to be the oldest in the world has been discovered at the back of a cupboard and handed to museum staff. The pudding was one of 1,000 sent in 1900 to the Naval Brigade, fighting on the frontline in the Boer War, by a Victorian philanthropist. Somehow it made its way back to the UK and has been sitting, for the past few years anyway, in a kitchen cupboard in Poole, Dorset. The 111-year-old pudding, thought to be the last survivor of the original batch, is still in its unopened decorative tin. Sadly, it is now thought to be inedible. It is set to go on display at The National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Hampshire.” w/ photos

“With temperatures reaching up to 32 degrees in Jakarta this week, it was no surprise that this hot and bothered orangutan was trying to find measures to cool down. The hungry ape, named Bendot, was spotted savoring the icy treat at Rangunan Zoo in Indonesia’s capital. But the sugary orange ice lolly, which he managed to beg from a zoo visitor, might not have been the best snack for the overweight primate. The Bornean orangutan’s bulging belly was on clear display as he sat in his grassy enclosure sucking on the snack. Photographer Tri Saputro managed to snap 25-year-old Bendot as he carefully held the wooden lolly stick and slurped away.” w/ photos

“A torrent of gray, toxic water spews from a drainage tunnel and surges along the ravine, tumbling along garbage that has fallen from the Guatemalan capital’s main landfill 1,000 feet above. Despite the foul odors, the danger of unstable piles of garbage collapsing and the chance for heavy rain to suddenly raise the water level, dozens of people are busily at work searching for jewelry and other metal scraps knocked loose from the trash. They call the ravine the ‘mine,’ and refer to themselves as ‘miners.’ Every day, about 300 hike to the bottom of the ravine and wade into the water in search of rings and bracelets made of silver or gold. The water sifts and carries away the lighter garbage, leaving heavy metals on the stream bed… If the scavengers don’t find jewelry, they collect screws, faucets and other recyclable metal items that they can sell for 85 cents a pound. That amounts to twice the minimum wage for an average trip.” w/ photos

“At first glance, you could be forgiven for mistaking these images for a beach house, with the floors dusted in a layer of sand and walls made from stone. But in fact everything in this incredible South American hotel is made from salt – including most of the furniture. The Hotel de Sal, near Colchani, Bolivia, hosts guests who have come to visit the stunning salt flats where vast expanses of salt lakes give the surreal impression of the earth meeting the sky. Tourists typically stay for a few days to see the natural wonders of Bolivia’s most notorious attraction before moving on to the next stop of their journey. For $116 a night, lodgers can rent a double room – complete with their own salt bed of course – and breakfast.” w/ photos

“These breathtaking photographs capture the remarkable moments when a tiger bowed its head and placed a paw up to the hand of a small girl. Photographer Dyrk Daniels noticed the 370lb Golden Bengal Tiger had taken an interest in the child, who was leaning against his glass enclosure. As the tiger, called Taj, headed over to her, Mr Daniels got his camera ready, expecting him to snarl and bang against the glass. But amazingly the tiger hung his head, stretched a paw out to her hand and rubbed his cheek against where the girl’s face was.” w/ photos

“As a double act, this pair of squirrels has got their audience going nuts. The two grey squirrels have been photographed riding a skateboard, playing a piano and even pushing a wheelchair in Tampa, Florida. Retired postwoman Kathy Pruyn sets up the hilarious scenes by strategically placing peanuts and peanut butter among the toys. One comical shot shows one of the furry critters ‘singing’ into a microphone while another shoots a game of pool. Another apparently shows a squirrel towing a group of cuddly toys in a children’s cart. Mrs Pruyn said: ‘I fed the squirrels after they had fallen out of a nest and when I released them they still came back to my garden for food. ‘One day I was going through the old toys that needed throwing out and I just thought it would be funny to see the squirrels with them.” w/ photos

“Preparing dinner in a bustling household can be a frenzy of dicing, slicing – and beeping smoke alarms. Now a kitchen gadget offers that much-needed extra hand by stirring soups or sauces so you can concentrate on other tasks around the house. The Robostir is a cordless, battery-operated device that sits in the pan and stirs the ingredients in circular motions. It stands on three metal legs with silicone feet – ensuring that it does not scratch the pan – and moves around the entire container to prevent ingredients sticking or burning. It also has three speeds to suit the temperature or thickness of the recipe.” w/ photos

“This is one way for commuters to relax on their hectic early morning trip to work – by sitting back and relaxing in a garden built in an underground train carriage. The bizarre mobile garden was created by Joseph Baldwin and a team of 10 volunteers, who painstakingly laid over 400 sods of grass throughout the train in Chicago. Every inch of floor and seat space is covered in lush green plants and grass – making the normally stressful commuter carrier into a tranquil idyll. And after spending a backbreaking eight hours solid decking out the normally bland train carriage in an explosion of greenery, the group then sent the train around the cities downtown loop. For one day only thousands of stressed out city workers in Chicago were able to relax in the relatively peaceful mobile garden.” w/ photos