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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GLACIER ICE CLIMBING

COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .

THUG FISH LOOK LIKE THEY MIGHT BATTER PHOTOGRAPHER

STARING open-mouthed into the camera, this shocked fish looks out of place in the middle of its angry friends .

SNOW HITS BIRMINGHAM

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MISCHIEVOUS FOX CUBS

A mischievous fox cub demonstrates his playful side by biting his sibling’s tail .

LAZY LIZARDS RELAX AND POSE LIKE YODA

With one hand rested on his belly and the other propping his head up, this lazy lizard takes an afternoon break .

FACES OF ORPHAN VICTIMS OF AGENT ORANGE

These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .

HOPE FOR HOMELESS HEDGEHOG

SNUGGLED up in the hay away from the elements, this adorable hoglet has sought solace with a familiar friend .

RESCUE TURTLES OPEN WIDE FOR DINNER

A pair of BEAUTIFUL rescue sea turtles spot their catch in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef .

BABY WHALE AND MOTHER LAP UP TOURIST ATTENTION

A grey whale and her calf greet an audience of awestruck admirers on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico .

COLOURFUL KINGFISHERS DIVE FOR THEIR DINNER

A kingfisher’s bright blue and orange feathers glisten in the sunlight as the bird dives into a lake .

PEEKABOO SQUIRRELS EMERGE FROM THEIR NEST

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 .

LOST LEAPING BABY WHALE

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