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 ADORABLE one-eyed kitten has been dubbed the 'pirate cat' because of his pirate-like facial expressions .
THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .
At first glance what might look like ordinary rusty bridge and road railings, are in fact amazing works of art .
WITH SNOW COVERING the ground around them, these two polar bears play fight .
A group of otters put on a show of aqua aerobics, as they raise their flippers perfectly in sync .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
These uninvited guests ELEPHANTLY make their annual trip through the reception of this welcoming lodge .
A grand 56-bedroom hotel, once heaving with injured soldiers during the First World War, now lies completely abandoned .
Staring death in the face, a little field mouse bravely confronts a hungry cat .
A dog was SOW close to death after she dangerously swallowed a two-inch NEEDLE-Cute Shih Tzu Daisy could have pierced her intestines after eating the long needle and thread after finding it on the carpet .
Throwing their arms up in the air, these energetic squirrels play a game of ball with a walnut .
VENTURING into the ocean with self-made spears and nets, the fishermen of Zanzibar put their lives on the line when they catch food for their families .