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.
A SPECTRUM of colours fills the sky during this spectacular and natural display of light .
The lighthouses of Brittany, from Brest to Le Conquet, stand tall on France’s north-western coast against stunning scenery .
Swimming side by side with divers, these manatees will do anything they can to stay warm .
SPLASHING in the water and fighting in-between rocks, these energetic tigers enjoy their fun-filled morning .
A puppy bit off more than he could chew when he stole a six inch Chinese spare rib from his owner and swallowed it WHOLE, Cheeky Staffordshire bull terrier Rossi had his life SPARED when he underwent a life-saving operation to remove the bone from his stomach after swiping part of the takeaway meal .
HOPPING onto the scales, these adorable baby Humboldt penguins are ready for their first weigh-in .
WITH A wide smile plastered across his face, this little gecko is ready for his close up .
COURAGEOUS climbers descend 400 metres as they manoeuvre their way through thick walls of ice .
SURROUNDED by a snowstorm, these young polar bears battle the elements - as well as each other .
A family of foster carers are facing bankruptcy and homelessness after they signed up to a Government scheme to renovate their house to be used for disabled children's short breaks .
A PENSIONER was left with a fractured jaw after being beaten and robbed outside his home in Birmingham last weekend .
AN ADORABLE one-eyed kitten has been dubbed the 'pirate cat' because of his pirate-like facial expressions .