Jostling their quills into the noses of some unlucky cubs, this is the moment two feisty porcupines ALMOST defeat a pride of seven lions. The porcupines, after leaving their spikey mark, hurry away from the pack of big cats. But they are unable to escape when the pride's alpha male lion arrives and devours the retreating spine covered rodents. Amateur photographer and software tester Philip Eglise witness the battle during a trip to the Kalahari Desert, South Africa .
A GLOWING range of greens and blues sweep across the sky in a spectacular display of light .
SEA LIFE and greenery in one shot show nature at its very best .
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
It's incredible to think anyone could live in such horrendous squalor - yet two men have been prosecuted for keeping their homes in such revolting conditions that it was no longer fit for their animals .
With their guts spewing and eyes hanging out, these are the cuddly toys children might be reluctant to curl up to .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - MILEY MASH-UP: MILEY CYRUS’ naked wrecking ball vid has been lampooned in this side-spitting photo-mashup .
With the vivid red smoke billowing into the sky amid the misty sand dunes, these are the blissful views provided at the break of dawn at a volcano .
This is the moment a nimble red fox and a lumbering Alaskan brown bear were locked in a tense stand-off .
Leaping out of the ocean, a group of gentoo penguins fly through the air before landing safely on an iceberg .
Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks .
Lying angelically with a range of expressions etched on their tiny faces, little bundles of joy are innocently captured in their first few days in these adorable photographs .
Exploding out of the water, a great white shark performs a backflip during a hunt for seals .