SUNBATHING OTTER

A lazy otter finds the ideal spot to soak up the sun and sleep off his lunch. Stretching out on the dock, he laps up the warm weather and works on his tan. These cute shots were captured by Canadian triathlon coach Mark Bates, 46, when he spotted the little river otter relaxing on the marina docks in Pender Island, Canada. ‘This calm otter was sunbathing and napping on the dock of a marina,’ says Mark, of North Vancouver.

Other great stories
POLAR BEAR STRETCHES

Raising his arms above his head and lying flat on his back, a polar bear stretches as he sprawls out across the ice .

FIGHTING BABOONS

THEIR gnarling teeth at the ready, these two baboons fight it out for the last piece of fruit .

LIGHTHOUSES OVERLOOK GLOWING SUNRISES

The lighthouses of Brittany, from Brest to Le Conquet, stand tall on France’s north-western coast against stunning scenery .

PHOTOGRAPHER CAPTURES UNIQUE PATTERNS OF THE HUMAN EYE

A Romanian photographer has captured the unique patterns of hundreds of human eyes in a series of striking macro shots .

SPELLBINDING ENGLISH STAR TRAILS

A photographer has captured spellbinding images of stars swirling above the English countryside .

SCULPTURES THAT WILL LEAF YOU SPEECHLESS

GIANT garden sculptures don't beat about the bush .

NOT FIT FOR DOGS - RSPCA RESCUERS FIND ANIMALS IN SHOCKING FILTH

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 .

ADORABLE DOLPHINS VISIT AUSTRALIAN BEACH FOR BREAKFAST

SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .

KALEIDOSCOPIC CATHEDRALS AND CHURCHES

THESE kaleidoscopic-like photographs capture England’s churches and cathedrals in all their glory .

THE GREAT ESCAPE

Staring death in the face, a little field mouse bravely confronts a hungry cat .

HOUNDTON TABBY

FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .