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 praying mantis makes an unusual friend in an Oriental garden lizard .
A group of otters put on a show of aqua aerobics, as they raise their flippers perfectly in sync .
Scurrying along the branch of a tree, a little squirrel pushes a pram packed full of Easter treats .
A BROWN bear wades through waters in Alaska and waits for his lunch .
WITH SNOW COVERING the ground around them, these two polar bears play fight .
A ROAD KILL munching Scot has chewed on everything from a dead squirrel to an unlucky crow – all in the name of art .
Peering curiously into a basket hanging off the arms of a snowman, this little squirrel appears fascinated by the snowy figure .
SAILING peacefully across a river in the early morning light, a fisherman in China keeps a 1000 year old tradition alive .
An intrepid explorer hopes to be reunited with his travel partner, after his cuddly toy companion was stolen .
A Canadian couple celebrated their engagement by recreating iconic moments from the film The Notebook .
PUSHING the diver out of his way, this little sea turtle shows he’s not in the mood for photographs .
