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.
Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks .
THESE kingfishers prove no rod is needed as they go fishing for their dinner .
OFFERING a glimpse into the past, a mash-up of old and new photographs show how the world’s biggest cities have changed .
A host of websites that are almost twenty years old are collecting a cult following thanks to their retro appeal .
FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .
A BAMBI was dramatically caught in mid-air by a greedy Nile crocodile in a once-in-a-million flying pincer move .
Raising his arms above his head and lying flat on his back, a polar bear stretches as he sprawls out across the ice .
A panic stricken kitten that got her head stuck in a car tyre has been freed by quick thinking RSPCA staff .
YOU’VE heard of the northern lights now feast your eyes on the natural wonder of the SOUTHERN lights .
STARING eagerly into the camera, this little toad is full of curiosity .
These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .