SOARING through the air, this is the moment a hungry tawny owl arrives home with dinner. After swooping down from a branch to catch its prey, the owl safely hands over a field mouse to his family in their nest. The breathtaking photographs were captured by Italian photographer Jacopo Rigotti, 24, after he spent weeks photographing the majestic birds in South Tyrol, Italy. “My home is surrounded by forests, rivers and mountains and I am always in close contact with many species of owls,” says Jacopo, of Trentino, Italy.
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
A Little owl looks down the lens of a camera and gives the photographer a cheeky wink .
PAWS for thought as you feast your eyes on this rare bear bathing session .
This brave Hyena finally catches his pray among the thousands of flamingos, Lake Nakuru, Kenya - OUTNUMBERED among thousands of flamingos, this bold hyena is not put off from hunting for a morning snack .
SKIPPING on the spot, an adorable little owl embraces the 'running man' challenge .
A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free .
Enjoying life’s little pleasures is something that many struggle to do .
Going for long rides through vast fields together, this twosome share an unbreakable bond .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks .
A pair of adorable polar bear cubs play-fight with each other in the Alaskan snow .
FISTS fly as two gorillas take each other on in a dramatic battle .