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.
SOARING through the air, a hungry white-tailed kite prepares to snatch a vole from his mother’s claws .
BOXING DAY has come early for this pair of feisty squirrels, as their Christmas party quickly turns sour .
SAILING peacefully across a river in the early morning light, a fisherman in China keeps a 1000 year old tradition alive .
A diving guide leaves a shark completely docile and balanced in the palm of his hand .
RESTING his weary head on his flipper, this little seal pup takes a much needed nap after an afternoon of strenuous yoga .
WELCOME to the Temple of Zoom where you can “experience” sliding down a Mayan temple into shark infested waters .
A panic stricken kitten that got her head stuck in a car tyre has been freed by quick thinking RSPCA staff .
Destroyed buildings and overturned cars are seen after a huge tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City, May 20, 2013 .
Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks .
WITH their robotic movements and pristine uniforms, these are the sexy traffic girls of North Korea that are becoming iconic figures in the secretive state .
A little brown bear cub shows his doting mum that she is always on parent duty as he uses her as a scratching post .