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 SERENE turquoise glow glimmers from underneath these powerful icebergs .
HIDDEN in the middle of the Mojave Desert, a secret oasis awaits intrepid travellers .
A little brown bear cub shows his doting mum that she is always on parent duty as he uses her as a scratching post .
MAKING himself at home, this little snail perches happily on top of this frog's head .
SITTING quietly at the edge of the lake, these two baby bears watch and learn as the adults hunt for fish .
Throwing their arms up in the air, these energetic squirrels play a game of ball with a walnut .
VENTURING into the ocean with self-made spears and nets, the fishermen of Zanzibar put their lives on the line when they catch food for their families .
These beautiful photographs show how these playful pods of dolphins make their own fun by gliding, flipping and spinning through the air whilst enjoying the sun on their backs .
When couples talk about wanting a white wedding, few will be referring to getting hitched on a glacier sat on top of an active volcano .
Leaping out of the ocean, a group of gentoo penguins fly through the air before landing safely on an iceberg .
Hot on the heels of a little rabbit, this cheetah is on a mission to catch his prey .