DASHING through the snow, this little stoat is on the lookout for a Christmas feast. Bobbing its head as it moves through the frosty grass, the adorable creature darts and leaps across the field as it searches for the perfect meal. The delightful animal was photographed by Swiss student Etienne Francey as he watched the stoat play in fields in his hometown of Cousset in Switzerland. The 17-year-old says: ‘Cycling along a country road near my house one snowy day, I was startled to see a stoat run across the road in front of me.
TUGGING at his exhausted mum's ears, a beautiful baby orangutan refuses to settle for a nap as he begins a game of peek-a-boo .
Say cheese! This cheeky chappy isn’t in the mood to live up to his scary reputation as he is pictured here cracking a killer smile as he goes about his daily business .
With a dust covered coat hung from a wardrobe door and a pair of glasses left on a shelf, a remote farmhouse lies abandoned in the Welsh countryside .
BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera .
SEA LIFE and greenery in one shot show nature at its very best .
THE THOUGHT OF BECOMING shipwrecked on a remote destination would fill most holidaymakers with dread .
A fox takes a tumble and lands on his head when he tries to fend off a pair of eagles in Japan .
DIPPING his head into the vase of water, this little squirrel takes a refreshing break from an afternoon of eating .
WITH SNOW COVERING the ground around them, these two polar bears play fight .
A mining town in Australia’s outback appears to be completely deserted, but its residents have escaped the scorching heat by living in underground caves .
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
OFFERING a glimpse into the past, a mash-up of old and new photographs show how the world’s biggest cities have changed .