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.
THEIR gnarling teeth at the ready, these two baboons fight it out for the last piece of fruit .
MOUTH OPEN wide, this little stoat appears to be in mid-song as he belts out a tune for his onlookers .
The lighthouses of Brittany, from Brest to Le Conquet, stand tall on France’s north-western coast against stunning scenery .
BREATHING life back into old photographs, these black and white images are transformed by colour .
IN a galaxy not so far away lies a magical display of lights that could be the latest image from NASA .
A couple celebrated tying the knot with a spectacular Alice in Wonderland-themed wedding reception .
FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .
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 .
This was the chaotic scene when the driver of a 4x4 vehicle became periously trapped under his vehicle for an HOUR when it overturned after a crash on a busy motorway .
This brave Hyena finally catches his pray among the thousands of flamingos, Lake Nakuru, Kenya - OUTNUMBERED among thousands of flamingos, this bold hyena is not put off from hunting for a morning snack .
An adorable little squirrel wakes from a nap and pops out his tongue for the camera .
Lying angelically with a range of expressions etched on their tiny faces, little bundles of joy are innocently captured in their first few days in these adorable photographs .