CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia. Away from modern civilization, children living in the Simien Mountains spend their gruelling days herding, or carrying, animals and walking miles through the rocky terrain. From the age of five these children are responsible for goats and sheep in the highlands and when they do rest, the boys and girls are schooled in classrooms made from mud, rocks and wood. German photographer Mario Gerth trekked 3,000 metres up the Ethiopian mountain range to visit this group of Tigray people and their hardy children and witness their unorthodox lifestyle.
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
This is the moment a nimble red fox and a lumbering Alaskan brown bear were locked in a tense stand-off .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
SOME OF the sea’s most terrifying creatures show their softer side as they join a group of diners for lunch .
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 .
HUNDREDS of colour coordinated yarns lie abandoned in this once thriving textile mill .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .
THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .
A cheeky gorilla sticks her tongue out and plays up for the camera at Bronx Zoo .
SLEEPING within touching distance of wild African animals might not be everyone's idea of a relaxing break .
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .