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 carefree bear cub reclines in the water with his feet raised in the air .
A trout manages to escape the jaws of a hungry cormorant - only to find itself back inside the bird's long beak .
SNUGGLED up in the hay away from the elements, this adorable hoglet has sought solace with a familiar friend .
From squids to Star Wars, these flipping marvellous creations are pancake portraits .
ARMED with her camera, bikini and flippers, this brave diver goes swimming with SHARKS .
SNEAKING slowly into the water, this Bengal tiger plans a vicious attack on three unsuspecting deer .
WIDE EYED with a huge smile across her face, this little elephant is a picture of happiness .
These photographs of extreme weather capture storms furiously rolling across the sky above America .
WITHOUT A care in the world, this little snow monkey puts his feet up and settles in for a snooze .
NEW DELHI, A woman activist of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party crosses a police barricade near the residence of ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi during a protest against the recent rape of a five-year-old girl in New Delhi, India, April 21, 2013 .
WITH A wide smile plastered across his face, this little gecko is ready for his close up .