A quiet Himalayan mountain village springs to life for a colourful Buddhist festival designed to expel evil spirits and bring happiness. The annual Torgya Festival in Tawang, in north-eastern India, is full of colourful dancing, music and theatre. The three day festival is held in the courtyard of the Tawang monastery, which is nestled on top of the hill overlooking the town. The vibrant event was attended by Australian photographers Stephen Axford and Catherine Marciniak.
LYING back in the snow, these two polar bears share a cuddle as they call time out on playtime .
MOUTH OPEN wide, this little stoat appears to be in mid-song as he belts out a tune for his onlookers .
Jostling their quills into the noses of some unlucky cubs, this is the moment two feisty porcupines ALMOST defeat a pride of seven lions .
BRAIDED, sculpted and beaded, these are the eye-catching hairstyles worn by the tribal women of Angola .
THESE are the Disney Princesses you wouldn't want to run into in a dark alley .
WELCOME to what could be the world's tallest TOTALLY wooden construction .
NEVER mind being careful not to choke on your food, this mother bird has a bigger challenge on her hands, as her ravenous offspring impatiently launches its head down into her stomach .
THIS astonishing film shows the moment a hit-and-run driver ploughed into a woman and a toddler on a Coventry street .
LIKE A living balloon this baitball of sardines is ready to burst when threatened by a pointy nosed sailfish .
Families in an Indian slum put their lives on the line by living on top of an ACTIVE railway track .
WITHOUT a care in the world, this little chimpanzee shows off her gymnastic skills as she swings around her enclosure .