RACING through the mountain range on horseback, the Kazakh people practice their ancient tradition of hunting with golden eagles. Soaring through the air at 200mph, the eagles race to reach their keeper, in order to win first place in an annual festival, which celebrates the heritage of the Kazakh people. The Golden Eagle festival is held every October in Bayan-Olgii, a province in western Mongolia. Belgian photographer and software developer Stefan Cruysberghs captured the photographs when he travelled to the region to witness the occasion first-hand.
A lazy otter finds the ideal spot to soak up the sun and sleep off his lunch .
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
THESE LOVE BIRDS can’t keep their beaks off each other as they share a very public display of affection .
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 .
WITH his spiked ears and yellow and blue body, a colourful monkey bears an uncanny resemblance to Marvel Comics’ Wolverine .
RESTING his weary head on his flipper, this little seal pup takes a much needed nap after an afternoon of strenuous yoga .
SOARING at 112 miles per hour through the air, this petite blonde certainly lives up to her title as the fastest flying woman in the world .
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia .
From vivid greens to glowing pinks, the colours of the aurora borealis fill the night sky above a snow covered Lapland .
A kingfisher’s bright blue and orange feathers glisten in the sunlight as the bird dives into a lake .
BALANCING on top of a tree, this bear cub puts her climbing skills to the test .