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 is the fascinating abandoned house, complete with mystery portraits and homely items, that has been dubbed - crooked cottage .
PERCHED on a branch, these two frogs hold hands as they look into the camera .
SNUGGLING up against their teddy bears, these baby sloths could easily be mistaken for one of the cuddly toys .
A panic stricken kitten that got her head stuck in a car tyre has been freed by quick thinking RSPCA staff .
BLOWING bubbles underwater, this adorable polar bear slides into his tank for a playful dip .
A SERENE turquoise glow glimmers from underneath these powerful icebergs .
FROM motorcycling to department store shopping these spookily faceless people are part of the Chinese-fad for wearing protective solar-visors in public .
This cheeky macaque gets up close and personal as he examines the dental hygiene of his fellow primate .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
A lazy otter finds the ideal spot to soak up the sun and sleep off his lunch .
COURAGEOUS CLIMBERS scale frozen waterfalls in Canada, as the ice threatens to collapse beneath them .
These adorable pictures show the moment two cuddly red panda cubs take their first look at the outside world and are weighed for the very first time .