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.
PERCHED on a branch, this Little Owl plays third wheel to two love birds .
A German photographer travelled around Africa where he met and photographed members of tribes in a series of intimate portraits .
A diver looks like a minnow as she swims alongside a gigantic whale shark, the largest species of fish on the planet .
FULLY equipped with a kitchen and lounge, it's hard to believe this modern holiday let is actually a BUS .
LUMINOUS green rocks could easily be a beach from Superman's homeland of Krypton .
A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free .
An elegant snowy owl spreads her wings and glides effortlessly above the snow covered field .
WITH his spiked ears and yellow and blue body, a colourful monkey bears an uncanny resemblance to Marvel Comics’ Wolverine .
GLIDING through the water, these delightful frogs show off their vibrant colours as they practice their FROG crawl .
With the vivid red smoke billowing into the sky amid the misty sand dunes, these are the blissful views provided at the break of dawn at a volcano .