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.
This tranquil setting stretches for miles as the sun sets behind the mountain .
A project to create an underwater tribute to the stone Moai statues of Easter Island ended in disaster when 15 replica structures were destroyed after toppling from a boat and into the sea .
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
RESTING his weary head on his flipper, this little seal pup takes a much needed nap after an afternoon of strenuous yoga .
WITHOUT a care in the world, this little chimpanzee shows off her gymnastic skills as she swings around her enclosure .
Hot on the heels of a little rabbit, this cheetah is on a mission to catch his prey .
WITHOUT A care in the world, this little snow monkey puts his feet up and settles in for a snooze .
TUGGING on the wing of his sibling, this needy owl is after some attention .
Swirling water and sand create amazing aerial images of river deltas across Iceland .
MEET the little lion of suburbia with a mane that makes him look like a mini-king of the jungle .
