BEAR CUBS AND DOTING MUM

A little brown bear cub shows his doting mum that she is always on parent duty as he uses her as a scratching post. These adorable photographs of two playful bear cubs and their watchful mum were captured by American nature photographer D. Robert Franz, 56, on a visit to Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. 'What we see in these photographs is the interaction between the mother brown bear and her two cubs,' says D. Robert, of Cody, Wyoming.

Other great stories
VENOM MAN

AN UNEMPLOYED factory worker has proved his immunity to snake venom by letting a deadly mamba bite his bare arm .

SWIMMING WITH WHALE SHARKS

A diver looks like a minnow as she swims alongside a gigantic whale shark, the largest species of fish on the planet .

ADORABLE SHELTER DOGS STRIKE A ‘PAWS’ TO FIND FOREVER HOMES

A group of shelter dogs showcase their loveable personalities in a series of passport-style photographs - in the hope of finding their forever homes .

UNLIKELY PLAYMATES: BRAVE CHICKS PLAY WITH A PYTHON

A pair of chicks bravely decided to befriend a python, despite being the snake's favourite choice of food .

AUSTRALIAN TOWN LOCATED UNDERGROUND

A mining town in Australia’s outback appears to be completely deserted, but its residents have escaped the scorching heat by living in underground caves .

OH DEER: MOMENT DEER CRASHES THROUGH WINDSCREEN OF BUS

With no luck at the front of the bus, the deer runs around the center seats trying to escape through the window – THIS is the astonishing moment a DEER crashed through the front windshield of a bus before it went hysterically running around the vehicle .

HUNDREDS OF HOT AIR BALLOONS DECORATE TURKISH SKY

HUNDREDS of hot air balloons decorate the sky above Turkey as the rising sun illuminates the spectacular scenery below .

HUNGRY TURTLE ATTRACTS AN AUDIENCE

SURROUNDED by divers, a hungry green sea turtle enjoys being the centre of attention .

AERIALS OF FLOODING ON SOMERSET LEVELS

Sam Notaro built his own flood defences to protect his four-bedroom home in Moorland, Somerset Flooding is likely to get worse around Somerset as groundwater levels continue to rise .

HUNGRY GORILLA ENJOYS DINNER

SHOVELLING food into his mouth, this hungry gorilla enjoys a peaceful moment at dinner time .

OWLS PLAY TUG-OF-WAR

TUGGING on the wing of his sibling, this needy owl is after some attention .

LIVING ON WATER: REFUGEES BUILD A LIFE AT SEA

SAILING over crystal clear waters, the Bajau people of Malaysia live their lives almost entirely at SEA .