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.
WITH HIS PAW covering his mouth, this cheeky cub looks amused by something .
A hungry hippo is seconds away from catching a bird in its gigantic jaws .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
LEAF-ing much to the imagination, this camera trickery is blooming marvellous .
THIS ONE of a kind experience brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'a coffee to go' .
SQUABBLING over the last piece of grain, these hungry squirrels are determined to stock up on as much food as possible .
SAILING peacefully across a river in the early morning light, a fisherman in China keeps a 1000 year old tradition alive .
AN ITALIAN mechanic has created the world’s most ferocious mini-car .
NATURE PAPARAZZIS prove you don't have to be Justin Bieber or Cheryl Cole to attract a pack of photographers .
Raising his arms above his head and lying flat on his back, a polar bear stretches as he sprawls out across the ice .
THESE kingfishers prove no rod is needed as they go fishing for their dinner .
