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 hungry hippo is seconds away from catching a bird in its gigantic jaws .
FROM the rolling hills of the Scottish highlands to looming chalk cliffs in Sussex, these stunning photographs capture the spectacular beauty of Great Britain .
A Canadian couple celebrated their engagement by recreating iconic moments from the film The Notebook .
Animal rescue volunteers have told how a cat riddled with cancer was forced to ripped off its own ears after it was abandoned by its owners .
This is the moment a nimble red fox and a lumbering Alaskan brown bear were locked in a tense stand-off .
An Indonesian farmer is dragged through muddy water as he clings to the tails of two charging cows .
THIS is the EXPLOSIVE moment when a 50 metre high pylon came crashing down to earth in a rural field .
With the full moon looming behind him, this polar bear nestles down for the night .
As sunlight cascades through its vibrant stained glass windows, every inch of the Nasir-ol-Mulk Mosque bursts with colour .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and for this greedy camel he can't get enough of his morning feed, as he gate crashes his owner's mealtime .
A diver attempts to control rising numbers of lionfish by feeding the venomous species to Caribbean reef sharks .