A cheeky gorilla sticks her tongue out and plays up for the camera at Bronx Zoo. After a morning spent wandering around her enclosure, the restless ape finally sits down to relax, but not before showing off numerous facial expressions. Israeli zoologist and wildlife photographer Michal Samuni-Blank photographed the playful western lowland gorilla when she visited Bronx Zoo in New York. Michal of New York, says: “The gorilla’s name is Julia and she has a very special personality. She is very outgoing and is one of a few gorillas in the zoo that interacts with the visitors.
HUDDLING under a leaf, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls take shelter from the rain .
IN a galaxy far, far away, this collection of stunning interstellar formations will leave you STARSTRUCK .
SURROUNDED by divers, a hungry green sea turtle enjoys being the centre of attention .
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 .
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .
SPLASHING around in a paddling pool, this little elephant soaks up the sunshine .
These photographs of extreme weather capture storms furiously rolling across the sky above America .
This frozen lighthouse in Michigan could easily be mistaken for a still from the snow swept disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow .
This brave Hyena finally catches his pray among the thousands of flamingos, Lake Nakuru, Kenya - OUTNUMBERED among thousands of flamingos, this bold hyena is not put off from hunting for a morning snack .
WITH A STERN look of determination on their faces, these adorable pooches perfect their doggy paddle as they dive head first into a swimming pool .
WITH their robotic movements and pristine uniforms, these are the sexy traffic girls of North Korea that are becoming iconic figures in the secretive state .
THESE kingfishers prove no rod is needed as they go fishing for their dinner .