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 young orangutan comes over all shy as she hides her face behind a broken bucket .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
TUGGING on the wing of his sibling, this needy owl is after some attention .
BURSTING colours of reds, pinks and purples give the illusion of a collection of stunning flowers .
A photographer has captured stunning photographs of the Milky Way above picturesque landscapes in the UK and Italy .
THIS incredible shimmer of silver fish mirrors the image of that of an underwater tornado .
MESMERIZING night sky photographs offer a spellbinding look at the stars .
Swimming side by side with divers, these manatees will do anything they can to stay warm .
STARING intently into the camera, a polar bear appears to be lost in thought while relaxing in the snow .
SKIPPING on the spot, an adorable little owl embraces the 'running man' challenge .
THIS ONE of a kind experience brings a whole new meaning to the phrase 'a coffee to go' .