This year's silly season stories

Koda the dwarf American miniature horse, rides in the front passenger seat with Andy Lynch, a vet, at Yarrambat Veterinary Hospital, Australia. Australia's smallest horse has beaten the odds to reach its first birthday Photograph: David Caird/Newspix /Rex Features

Two-month-old Lucky the duckling, who faced being put down after fracturing a leg, has been given a new lease of life thanks to a specially made sandal Photograph: Barry Batchelor/PA

Arctic Sea, a ship that mysteriously disappeared off the coast of France two weeks ago, possibly due to piracy.The ship, a 4,000-tonne bulk carrier with a 15-strong Russian crew, went missing shortly after passing through the Dover Strait between France and Britain late last month Photograph: Reuters

Part of the coastline of Saint-Michel-en-Greve, western France, that has been declared off limits after a horse collapsed and almost instantly died when it slipped on a patch of rotting algae Photograph: Fred Tanneau/AFP/Getty Images

A squirrel who appeared in Melissa Brandts's holiday photograph at Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park, Canada Photograph: Melissa Brandts

The nation's perfect pet, the 'Equicanigattus'. The computer-generated picture was created after a survey of 2,000 British pet lovers revealed the nation's perfect animal was supposedly 49% dog, 35% cat, 9% horse and 7% rabbit Photograph: MORE TH>N Pet Insurnce/PA

An ancient Egyptian bust resembling Michael Jackson is displayed at the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The bust is of a woman and it's about 3,000 years old Photograph: Kamil Krzaczynski/EPA

Video grab image from Sky Arts of Simon (no surname given), 50, from the Yorkshire and Humber area, during his session on the fourth plinth, in Trafalgar Square, London as part of the One and Other art installation. The naked male participant was ordered to cover up by the police Photograph: Sky Arts/PA

Gibson, a Great Dane, with Zoie, a Chihuahua, in Grass Valley, California. Gibson, the world's tallest dog, died after a battle with bone cancer Photograph: Deanne Fitzmaurice/AP

Teletubbies getting into shape at Pineapple Studios in London as it was confirmed they are reuniting for their first ever national dance tour Photograph: David Parry/PA

An ultra-Orthodox Jew blowing a horn on a flight circling over Israel. A planeload of Israeli rabbis and Jewish mystics held an airborne prayer meeting in the belief that it could help stop the spread of swine flu in Israel Photograph: Yehuda Shlezinger/AP

'A spoonful of sugar' helps the medicine go down - and the RSPB believes it can also help the UK's under-threat bees boost their energy levels. The conservation charity is advising gardeners to help bees, which are at their busiest at this time of year, with a sweet drink made from sugar and water Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

Ralph the bald Humboldt penguin, 9, who has been fitted with a specially designed wetsuit to protect him from the risk of sunburn, at Marwell Wildlife park, Hampshire Photograph: Marwell Wildlife/PA