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.
An Australian beach is illuminated by an enticing neon blue glow as a rare phenomenon lights up the water .
Jostling their quills into the noses of some unlucky cubs, this is the moment two feisty porcupines ALMOST defeat a pride of seven lions .
A Romanian photographer has captured the unique patterns of hundreds of human eyes in a series of striking macro shots .
LEAPING for joy five-feet above the waves this baby whale cutie is saying HELLO to its family after being lost .
A terrified moose, trapped in a frozen lake, bobs her head above the icey water and awaits her rescue .
LIFTING their heads high and bumping beaks, these aggressive pelicans clash over fish .
An Indonesian farmer is dragged through muddy water as he clings to the tails of two charging cows .
A lazy tree frog, tired of hopping along a branch, chooses the slowest form of transport when it jumps on top of an unsuspecting snail .
DIPPING and diving their way through this bumpy journey, these giraffe's duck for cover as they dodge multiple cables and wires .
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 .
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 .