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.
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
STARING open-mouthed into the camera, this shocked fish looks out of place in the middle of its angry friends .
More weather chaos is heading our way, with ice and snow already hitting areas across Birmingham .
A mischievous fox cub demonstrates his playful side by biting his sibling’s tail .
With one hand rested on his belly and the other propping his head up, this lazy lizard takes an afternoon break .
These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .
SNUGGLED up in the hay away from the elements, this adorable hoglet has sought solace with a familiar friend .
A pair of BEAUTIFUL rescue sea turtles spot their catch in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef .
A grey whale and her calf greet an audience of awestruck admirers on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico .
A kingfisher’s bright blue and orange feathers glisten in the sunlight as the bird dives into a lake .
SQUEEZING their furry faces through a hole in a tree, a trio of curious baby squirrels leave their nest for the first time to explore their surroundings .
LEAPING for joy five-feet above the waves this baby whale cutie is saying HELLO to its family after being lost .