PERCHED on a branch, this Little Owl plays third wheel to two love birds. Clearly not bothered by their uncomfortable onlooker, the owls pucker up and put on a very public display of affection. This trio of Little Owls were photographed by Uzbek photographer Ilia Shalamaev, 36, after he spotted the scene on a trip to the town of Kiryat Gat, Israel. “Here you can see a family of owls playing and having fun on a branch, not far from their nesting place,” says Ilia, now of Beit Hashmonay, Israel.
A photographer from the United Arab Emirates travelled to Pakistan where he captured the lives of local people in a series of expressive portraits .
AN EXERCISING turtle and an ice-skating chick are hardly everyday exploits in the animal community .
BEAUTIFULLY lit by the dim glow of lanterns, a cave in Iceland is transformed into the perfect wedding venue .
STARING intently into the camera, a polar bear appears to be lost in thought while relaxing in the snow .
BALANCING 30 metres above ground, these slackliners take the expression of living dangerously one step further, by tightrope walking NAKED .
Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks .
Blonde teen Jess Stubbs has certainly got girl power - as Britain’s youngest TRUCKER .
A doting seal smiles at her sweet little pup as she tickles its tummy on the beach .
IN a galaxy far, far away, this collection of stunning interstellar formations will leave you STARSTRUCK .
CLIMBING, falling and tugging on his weary mum, this little orangutan is up to all kinds of trouble .
ALL IS not as it seems in these deceptive cityscapes .
SHOVELLING food into his mouth, this hungry gorilla enjoys a peaceful moment at dinner time .