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.

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MONKEY BUSINESS

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HOLY COW! DARING FARMERS IN THRILLING CATTLE RACE

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THE ENCHANTING FOREST OF FIREFLIES

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WALLABY FEEDS PIGEON

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PEEKABOO SQUIRRELS EMERGE FROM THEIR NEST

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THIRSTY SQUIRREL TAKES A BREAK

DIPPING his head into the vase of water, this little squirrel takes a refreshing break from an afternoon of eating .

DOTING SEAL TICKLES HER PUP

A doting seal smiles at her sweet little pup as she tickles its tummy on the beach .

SUNBATHING MEERKAT MAKES THE MOST OF UK SUN

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MAKING A SPLASH - GORILLA GOES APE IN WATER

While often referred to as the kings of the jungle, gorillas - for all their might - are notorious hydrophobes .