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. Instead of using traffic lights to control the stop and go flow of the cross-roads, attractive women dressed in perfectly crisps and identical outfits dangerously stand along in the middle of the road on a small platform. Displaying riveting focus, they are only allowed to turn counter-clockwise, directing traffic with forceful and halting movements. They have been the subject of photographic study for many years but French photographer Eric Lafforgue, 49, captured these moments during six trips to the Marxist country.
COVERING themselves in ash and face paint, these are the holy men who live their lives away from everyday society .
THIS is the shocking moment a clumsy radio newsreader plunged into a freezing canal while texting her boyfriend instead of looking where she was going .
A puppy bit off more than he could chew when he stole a six inch Chinese spare rib from his owner and swallowed it WHOLE, Cheeky Staffordshire bull terrier Rossi had his life SPARED when he underwent a life-saving operation to remove the bone from his stomach after swiping part of the takeaway meal .
THIS alien-like bug would look more at home in outer-space but it can actually be found wriggling around here on Earth .
SWIMMING in unison, millions of silverside fish dwarf the divers .
FLEXING his muscles and staring straight at his opponent, this bodybuilding squirrel is the nuts .
Surveying its surroundings, a tiny harvest mouse climbs the stem of a dandelion .
A diver looks like a minnow as she swims alongside a gigantic whale shark, the largest species of fish on the planet .
DIVING boffins fired harpoons into 30-foot-long whale sharks in a bid to put the sea-beasts on Google Maps .
An elegant snowy owl spreads her wings and glides effortlessly above the snow covered field .
BALANCING on top of a tree, this bear cub puts her climbing skills to the test .