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.
An osprey soars through the air at 30 miles per hour before swooping down to catch its prey from a lake .
A diving guide leaves a shark completely docile and balanced in the palm of his hand .
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
A BUMPER season of births has left zoo with three of the cutest exotic kittens you're likely to see .
WELCOME to the pretty 122-inch-tall red dwelling that lays claim to the title of the UK's smallest house .
A project to create an underwater tribute to the stone Moai statues of Easter Island ended in disaster when 15 replica structures were destroyed after toppling from a boat and into the sea .
SNUGGLING up against their teddy bears, these baby sloths could easily be mistaken for one of the cuddly toys .
STAIRWAY obsessed photographers have captured psychedelic shots that will mesmerise you .
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
WITH a paw in the air and his tongue hanging from his mouth, it is clear to see that this little groundhog is struggling to wake up and leave behind the comfort of his burrow .
A proud gorilla mum welcomes her newborn baby western lowland gorilla, a critically endangered species .