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.
While often referred to as the kings of the jungle, gorillas - for all their might - are notorious hydrophobes .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .
A northern potoo shows it is a master of disguise as it perches on a tree stump and blends into the bark .
LUMINOUS green rocks could easily be a beach from Superman's homeland of Krypton .
A curious red squirrel takes a break from collecting nuts and tries her hand at photography .
CAUSING a splash, this determined kingfisher goes hunting for dinner .
Like a scene from a fairytale, THOUSANDS of fireflies create an enchanting glow as they dance in a forest .
LINED up one by one on a deer’s back, these little birds give their wings a break as they catch a ride across London .
An Italian photographer travelled to Chile where he visited several star-gazing sites, home to some of the world's most advanced telescopes, located in the spectacular setting of the Atacama desert .
GETTING behind the camera, this monkey practices his photography skills on his friends .
FISTS fly as two gorillas take each other on in a dramatic battle .
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 .