High up in the mountains and thousands of feet off the ground, a party of climbers were in for a shock as they came face to face with this frightening leap of faith. These daunting photographs were captured by Italian photographer Nicola Bombassei, 38, after he unexpectedly stumbled across the 3,000 meter high drop, at Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy. 'The drop should have been fitted with a big wooden board over it, so that climbers can pass the cleft easily,' said Nicola. 'But when we arrived we couldn't find the board anywhere, and it was never an option not to complete the climb, so we had no choice but to take on the jump.
SOARING through the air, a hungry white-tailed kite prepares to snatch a vole from his mother’s claws .
Raising his arms above his head and lying flat on his back, a polar bear stretches as he sprawls out across the ice .
FINALLY catching a meal, a pair of great white egrets fight over their dinner .
As sunlight cascades through its vibrant stained glass windows, every inch of the Nasir-ol-Mulk Mosque bursts with colour .
THESE LOVE BIRDS can’t keep their beaks off each other as they share a very public display of affection .
THIS is the EXPLOSIVE moment when a 50 metre high pylon came crashing down to earth in a rural field .
A young otter wades through a lake with his eyes set on an older rival’s fish .
LYING back in the snow, these two polar bears share a cuddle as they call time out on playtime .
Full of tired and busy commuters, these underground stations are rarely admired for their architecture or beauty .
HUDDLED together on a branch, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls soak up the sun .
GETTING behind the camera, this monkey practices his photography skills on his friends .