WITHOUT A care in the world, this little snow monkey puts his feet up and settles in for a snooze. Bathing in the hot springs, he looks right at home as he indulges in a bit of me time. This calm monkey was captured by Edinburgh photographer Chris Rush, 26, while visiting the Jigokudani Monkey Park in Japan. “These photographs capture one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever encountered,” says Chris, originally of Newcastle.
A quiet Himalayan mountain village springs to life for a colourful Buddhist festival designed to expel evil spirits and bring happiness .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .
BURSTING colours of reds, pinks and purples give the illusion of a collection of stunning flowers .
NOT YOUR everyday selfie, this plucky diver poses with some of the scariest predators in the ocean .
A baby sperm whale assumed the role of a friendly giant when faced with two awestruck divers .
PUSHING the diver out of his way, this little sea turtle shows he’s not in the mood for photographs .
GLIDING through the water, these delightful frogs show off their vibrant colours as they practice their FROG crawl .
A hungry hippo is seconds away from catching a bird in its gigantic jaws .
A BABY-faced burglar is starting a seven year stretch in custody after being nabbed by a Jaffa Cake .
Exploding out of the water, a great white shark performs a backflip during a hunt for seals .
Clinging on to their furry backs, mischievous monkeys appeared to enjoy the free transport as they rode around on a perturbed Capybara .