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.
This cheeky macaque gets up close and personal as he examines the dental hygiene of his fellow primate .
Like a scene from a fairytale, THOUSANDS of fireflies create an enchanting glow as they dance in a forest .
A fox takes a tumble and lands on his head when he tries to fend off a pair of eagles in Japan .
A trio of ants are locked in a tug of war over a fly as they pull the bug by its legs .
BLOWING bubbles underwater, this adorable polar bear slides into his tank for a playful dip .
THIS is the incredible moment a pelican throws a fish into the air and SLAM DUNKS it into its enormous throat sack .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia .
More weather chaos is heading our way, with ice and snow already hitting areas across Birmingham .
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
UNDERWATER and above-water seaside shots show the best of British beach-life .
SNUGGLED up in the hay away from the elements, this adorable hoglet has sought solace with a familiar friend .