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.
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and for this greedy camel he can't get enough of his morning feed, as he gate crashes his owner's mealtime .
THIS LITTLE squirrel tries to keep himself snug as snow starts to fall around him .
BURSTING from the water, a beautiful but deadly Sumatran tiger jumps for food in an Indonesian zoo .
ROLLING up snow in its tiny paws, this little squirrel is looking for a snowball fight .
A floating market in Indonesia is bursting with vibrant colours as wooden rowing boats loaded with fruit and vegetables crowd the river .
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
WITH STUNNING colours and serene scenes, these photographs capture the otherworldly beauty of the English coast .
PICKING up a tiny tea-pot with its paws, a little red squirrel struggles to prepare its morning tea .
SOARING through the air, a hungry white-tailed kite prepares to snatch a vole from his mother’s claws .
At first glance what might look like ordinary rusty bridge and road railings, are in fact amazing works of art .
STARING open-mouthed into the camera, this shocked fish looks out of place in the middle of its angry friends .
RESTING his weary head on his flipper, this little seal pup takes a much needed nap after an afternoon of strenuous yoga .