Most people have an angel at the top of their Christmas tree, but one bear at Chester Zoo decided he wanted to be the star of the show. Climbing right to the top of the tree, the zoo’s spectacled bear Bernardo can often be seen relaxing with his head in the clouds. Four-year-old Bernardo moved to the zoo after travelling from Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma. Tim Rowlands, the zoo’s curator of mammals said: “An exchange of animals between the USA and Europe doesn’t happen very often at all, which makes Bernardo even more special to us here at the zoo.
WITH A wide smile plastered across his face, this little gecko is ready for his close up .
The lighthouses of Brittany, from Brest to Le Conquet, stand tall on France’s north-western coast against stunning scenery .
WITH A LITTLE cap of fresh snow resting on his head, this squirrel tries his best to pull off his new look .
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 .
Throwing a right hook as he launches onto his opponent with his gnarling teeth at the ready, this is the OTTER-LY ruthless showdown between two otters .
THIS is the awesome moment an Osprey catches its prey travelling at 50mph, giving new meaning to FAST FOOD .
From a floating jelly fish to a relaxed seal, Britain’s unappreciated beach life is captured above and below the water .
Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks .
A baby sperm whale assumed the role of a friendly giant when faced with two awestruck divers .
BREATHING life back into old photographs, these black and white images are transformed by colour .
A proud gorilla mum welcomes her newborn baby western lowland gorilla, a critically endangered species .