CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia. Away from modern civilization, children living in the Simien Mountains spend their gruelling days herding, or carrying, animals and walking miles through the rocky terrain. From the age of five these children are responsible for goats and sheep in the highlands and when they do rest, the boys and girls are schooled in classrooms made from mud, rocks and wood. German photographer Mario Gerth trekked 3,000 metres up the Ethiopian mountain range to visit this group of Tigray people and their hardy children and witness their unorthodox lifestyle.
BLOWING bubbles underwater, this adorable polar bear slides into his tank for a playful dip .
An adorable black bear cub struggles to find the perfect spot for an afternoon nap as he wriggles around on the branch of a maple tree .
WITH his spiked ears and yellow and blue body, a colourful monkey bears an uncanny resemblance to Marvel Comics’ Wolverine .
A BIKINI swim with jellyfish sounds like the most painful past-time on the planet .
PUSHING the diver out of his way, this little sea turtle shows he’s not in the mood for photographs .
A NINJA red squirrel cuts a dashing figure as the little fella jumps up to ten-feet between treetops in the Yorkshire Dales .
DASHING through the snow, this little stoat is on the lookout for a Christmas feast .
With blue waves tumbling over them, these surfers glide underneath a tunnel of water .
FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .
THIS RING of fire in the sky is the annular solar eclipse that wowed our cousins down-under .
SURROUNDED by divers, a hungry green sea turtle enjoys being the centre of attention .