FROM secretive and furtive beady-eyed creatures that lurk in the shadows to those that live in holes and are rarely seen in the light of day, Abergavenny is a haven for wildlife of all stripes and hues.

Thankfully the urban sprawl of the town has yet to encroach too detrimentally on popular areas such as Castle Meadows, Linda Vista Gardens, and the surrounding seven hills.

Even during a casual stroll around Aber you’ll find, amongst the general waste dropped sneakily by the sloth and swine that walk undetected yet gurning inanely amongst us, a wide array of wondrous wildlife - untamed, uncivilised, and free.

The birds of leisure and furry friends featured in these pics were captured by amateur lensman Gabriel Archan, who decided to make the most of the recent sunny spell and spend a day wandering around Abergavenny shooting wildlife.

“As an owner of any own business, I’m lucky that I don’t have to work!” Enthused Gabe.

“However, I humbly appreciate how many of my employees are often stuck indoors against their will when the sun is shining and the skies are blue, so I’m always keen to take a few cracking pics to show them all what they’ve been missing!”

Gabe told the Chronicle that although he didn’t manage to shoot an elusive badger or a cunning fox, he almost caught that rarest of creatures in his sights - a bobby on the beat - but it turned out to be a red herring, or in this case, a stripper off to some weekday hen-do!

Gabe told the Chronicle, “It’s a great time to be alive because you don’t need to be a professional photographer anymore to take a decent picture, you just need an iPhone 15 Pro Max or higher.

“I feel sorry for those saps with their big lenses and pretentious ways. Who needs them? I got all the zoom I need in my pocket rocket.”