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.
A small Indian monkey is seemingly gob-smacked after reading the latest stock market news .
A grey whale and her calf greet an audience of awestruck admirers on the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico .
SQUABBLING over the last piece of grain, these hungry squirrels are determined to stock up on as much food as possible .
Some will get up close and personal with Mother Nature’s deadliest animals to get the perfect shot, posing the question, what lengths will a photographer go to for that all important picture? But in this case, the question should be what depths .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
PAWS for thought as you feast your eyes on this rare bear bathing session .
A diver explores the crystal clear waters of the Silfra canyon in southern Iceland, which is the only place on Earth where you can dive or snorkel between two continental plates .
WIDE EYED and staring straight down the lens of the camera, this intrigued seal is ready for his close up .
A Romanian photographer has captured the unique patterns of hundreds of human eyes in a series of striking macro shots .
Scurrying along the branch of a tree, a little squirrel pushes a pram packed full of Easter treats .
PERCHED on a branch, this Little Owl plays third wheel to two love birds .
This cheeky chappie is getting into all kinds of monkey business as he enjoys cooling off on a scorching hot day .