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 doting seal smiles at her sweet little pup as she tickles its tummy on the beach .
FLOATING effortlessly on his back, this little otter laps up a rare glimmer of English spring sunshine .
SKIPPING on the spot, an adorable little owl embraces the 'running man' challenge .
LIKE A living balloon this baitball of sardines is ready to burst when threatened by a pointy nosed sailfish .
HUDDLING under a leaf, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls take shelter from the rain .
WITH a paw in the air and his tongue hanging from his mouth, it is clear to see that this little groundhog is struggling to wake up and leave behind the comfort of his burrow .
A Romanian photographer has captured the unique patterns of hundreds of human eyes in a series of striking macro shots .
ROLLING across a 65-metre-high viaduct in the Alps, the red carriages of the Bernina Express add a splash of colour to the spectacular snow-covered Swiss surroundings .
A BLIND man was battered with a brick in a sickening attack by two thugs .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
EAGERLY BITING his nails, this little squirrel is clearly nervous of looming predators as he searches for his meal .
A BABY-faced burglar is starting a seven year stretch in custody after being nabbed by a Jaffa Cake .