A professional dancer has embraced her individuality after refusing plastic surgery to remove a giant birthmark on her face. Canadian beauty, Cassandra Naud, 22, loves her unique appearance and even credits her birthmark for making her memorable in the dancing world. The pretty brunette, from Alberta, Canada, who was once told by a casting agent to digitally erase her birthmark from her headshots, says: 'My birthmark is a huge part of me. “It makes me unique and memorable, which is especially important for the career I’ve chosen.'
This cheeky macaque gets up close and personal as he examines the dental hygiene of his fellow primate .
A proud gorilla mum welcomes her newborn baby western lowland gorilla, a critically endangered species .
A pair of adorable polar bear cubs play-fight with each other in the Alaskan snow .
A US firefighter has battled osteoarthritis and four hip replacements to break the world paddleboarding record .
A project to create an underwater tribute to the stone Moai statues of Easter Island ended in disaster when 15 replica structures were destroyed after toppling from a boat and into the sea .
Destroyed buildings and overturned cars are seen after a huge tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City, May 20, 2013 .
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 .
THESE kingfishers prove no rod is needed as they go fishing for their dinner .
Throwing their arms up in the air, these energetic squirrels play a game of ball with a walnut .
A BIKINI swim with jellyfish sounds like the most painful past-time on the planet .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .