She is about to start driving and soon will be able to legally buy alcohol and get married, but Poppy Webb-Jones still looks and thinks like a ten-year-old girl. Unlike other 17-year-olds, Poppy is more interested in Hannah Montana and Justin Bieber than wearing make-up, experimenting with boys or staying out late. This is due to a rare condition which means she was born without any hormones, meaning she has never gone through puberty, never had a growth spurt and never thrown a teenage tantrum. To many parents of teenagers, Poppy must sound like the perfect child, but unbeknown to her or her mother Karen Webb-Meek, her condition posed a deadly risk to her health throughout her whole childhood. Poppy was born with a condition called panhypopituitarism meaning she lacks most of the hormones essential for life. Hypopituitarism is the decreased secretion of one or more of the eight hormones normally produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. If there is decreased secretion of most pituitary hormones, the term panhypopituitarism (pan meaning "all") is used. Poppy has no growth hormone, meaning her bones stopped growing around the age of 11, and she has no thyroxine, which regulates the metabolism and energy levels. In addition she has no oestrogen, which controls the onset of puberty and the development of secondary sexual characteristics.
While often referred to as the kings of the jungle, gorillas - for all their might - are notorious hydrophobes .
This brave Hyena finally catches his pray among the thousands of flamingos, Lake Nakuru, Kenya - OUTNUMBERED among thousands of flamingos, this bold hyena is not put off from hunting for a morning snack .
USUALLY full to bursting, these London Underground stations stand silent and completely commuter free .
With one hand rested on his belly and the other propping his head up, this lazy lizard takes an afternoon break .
With luminous colours and alien- like features, these magical mushrooms look like they belong on another planet .
BEAUTIFULLY lit by the dim glow of lanterns, a cave in Iceland is transformed into the perfect wedding venue .
An Australian beach is illuminated by an enticing neon blue glow as a rare phenomenon lights up the water .
BALANCING 30 metres above ground, these slackliners take the expression of living dangerously one step further, by tightrope walking NAKED .
LYING back in the snow, these two polar bears share a cuddle as they call time out on playtime .
GLIDING through the water, these delightful frogs show off their vibrant colours as they practice their FROG crawl .
SAT ON top of a Brazilian turtle’s head, this little ladybird looks content as he studies his environment from a new height .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .