Anup Shah / Gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada) female trying to detach umbilical cord from her newborn baby, Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, November

Chadden Hunter / Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) pup just born with umblical cord attached, South Georgia. Taken on location for BBC Frozen Planet series, 2008

Frederique Olivier / Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) one week pup on ice with umbilical cord showing, Antarctica, Taken on location for the BBC series, Frozen Planet.

Doug Allan / Weddell seal mother (Leptonychotes weddellii) with very young pup with umbilical cord, Ross Sea, Antarctica.

Kristel Richard / The start of the Palio is always difficult as the nine participating Fantini (jockeys) have to be perfectly aligned behind the cord. The Palio, the oldest registered Palio in Italy, takes place on the...

Kristel Richard / Seven Fantini (jockeys), in the colours of a particular district of Asti, take it easy at the start of one the team trials on the Saturday before the Palio, Asti, Piedmont, Italy. The cord which is le...

Anup Shah / Gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada) female with newborn baby, still with umbilical cord attached, Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, November

Suzi Eszterhas / Antarctic Fur Seal {Arctocephalus gazella} Newborn pup (less than 2 days) with umbilical cord attached, Salisbury Plain, South Georgia

Jane Burton / Arabian Spiny Mouse (Acomys dimidiatus) newborn baby showing umbilical cord

Jane Burton / Birth sequence: mother cutting puppies umbilical cord

Suzi Eszterhas / Common / Pacific Harbor Seal {Phoca vitulina} newborn pup with umbilical cord still attached, California, USA

Katherine Feng / Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Hua Mei's newborn cub has its umbilical cord cut by the staff at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Wolong Nature Reserve, China

Konrad Wothe / Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus) mother cleaning newborn calf, Bavaria, Germany

Doug Perrine / Newborn Lemon shark's tail emerges from mother {Negaprion brevirostris} Bahamas, Caribbean - remora fish break and eat umbilical cord (Non-ex).

Doug Allan / Weddell seal with newborn pup {Leptonychotes weddelli} Antarctica

Onne van der Wal / Bowman pulling the luff cord on a big 120ft sloop sailing upwind off Newport Rhode Island, USA

David Woodfall / Spartina / Cord grass (Spartina) spreading across Severn estuary (non native invasive plant) Wales, UK April 2010

David Woodfall / Spartina / Cord grass (Spartina) spreading across Severn estuary (non native invasive plant) Wales, UK April 2010

Peter Lewis / Newly born lamb (Ovis aries) on grass, Dorset.

Katherine Feng / Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) newborn with part of umbilical cord still attached, held by worker at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Wolong Nature Reserve, China

Katherine Feng / Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Gongzhu holding her two-hours-old cub gently in her mouth, note umbilical cord still attached, China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, Wolong N...