BURSTING colours of reds, pinks and purples give the illusion of a collection of stunning flowers. But these images are in fact amazing long-exposure shots of fireworks. These vibrant photographs were captured by Californian amateur photographer Alan Sailer, 58, when he decided to look into the shapes and colours of fireworks. 'I wanted to capture the fireworks at the precise moment they burst, to give them the look of a flower,' said Alan. 'I decided to take them with the focus varied just as the firework explodes, so I could focus on the colours and different shapes that each firework contains
SHOWING off her best assets for the camera, this cheeky orangutan is in the mood for love, puckering up her lips to blow the biggest kiss she can .
PAWS for thought as you feast your eyes on this rare bear bathing session .
FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .
A pair of chicks bravely decided to befriend a python, despite being the snake's favourite choice of food .
FULL OF STUNNING colours and swirling shapes, the furrows on these fields create a mix of mesmerising patterns .
THIS RING of fire in the sky is the annular solar eclipse that wowed our cousins down-under .
Splashing around in the water, a mother otter and her son are tangled in a family feud .
STARING open-mouthed into the camera, this shocked fish looks out of place in the middle of its angry friends .
Pouncing down on top of his twin brother, these two snow leopard cubs practice their kung-fu moves .
Is your cat bored? Do his usual playthings simply not do it for him anymore? Not to worry - there's an app for that .
This is the amazing moment two white-tailed kites take an in-flight meal - exchanging prey at 100 foot high in mid air .
A German photographer travelled around Africa where he met and photographed members of tribes in a series of intimate portraits .