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.
HUDDLED together on a branch, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls soak up the sun .
DIPPING and diving their way through this bumpy journey, these giraffe's duck for cover as they dodge multiple cables and wires .
A once bustling gold rush town in Mono County, California now stands completed deserted .
TOWERING 65 metres into the sky, this terrifying accent is a dream for climbers .
A mischievous fox cub demonstrates his playful side by biting his sibling’s tail .
A COUNCIL has come under fire for slapping fines on people’s GRAVESTONES for breaching petty regulations on pot plants .
SITTING quietly at the edge of the lake, these two baby bears watch and learn as the adults hunt for fish .
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 .
DINING under the stars, this restaurant takes you back in time - inside an ancient cave .
A curious red squirrel takes a break from collecting nuts and tries her hand at photography .
BURSTING from the water, a beautiful but deadly Sumatran tiger jumps for food in an Indonesian zoo .
SAILING peacefully across a river in the early morning light, a fisherman in China keeps a 1000 year old tradition alive .