A middle spotted woodpecker swoops into her nest and feeds her young in a forest in Trentino, Italy. Jacopo Rigotti, of Val Di Cembra, Trento, Italy, photographed the bird as she flew towards her nest, located in the trunk of a black pine tree, before feeding her hungry chicks a beakful of insects. The 25-year-old photographer says: "I decided to set up the camera on a tripod at the base of the tree, along with a flash that would help to prevent shadows in the photographs."
SPLASHING around in a paddling pool, this little elephant soaks up the sunshine .
A Romanian photographer has captured the unique patterns of hundreds of human eyes in a series of striking macro shots .
TUGGING at his exhausted mum's ears, a beautiful baby orangutan refuses to settle for a nap as he begins a game of peek-a-boo .
SOARING through the air, a hungry white-tailed kite prepares to snatch a vole from his mother’s claws .
Fetching a tiny carrot and a head-shaped snowball, a red squirrel builds the perfect snowman .
Soldiers standing guard outside the Woolwich barracks in London - Two terror suspects are under armed guard in separate hospitals in London after a serving soldier was hacked to death in the street .
FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters .
CAUSING a splash, this determined kingfisher goes hunting for dinner .
THESE are the Disney Princesses you wouldn't want to run into in a dark alley .
THIS DANGER-mad female pensioner could be the oldest Brit to cage dive with CROCODILES .
A ROAD KILL munching Scot has chewed on everything from a dead squirrel to an unlucky crow – all in the name of art .