BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera. After spending a morning stealing a stash of nuts and seed from his squirrel friends, he sits down to enjoy his well-earned lunch. The pictures of this cheeky squirrel were captured by emergency services worker Claire Hartley, 35, on a trip to Hartsholme Park, near Lincoln. “Several squirrels had been competing to get as many nuts as possible,” says Claire, of Lincoln.
BALANCING on top of a tree, this bear cub puts her climbing skills to the test .
A SPECTACULAR array of stars fills the night sky as they soar over this active volcano .
More weather chaos is heading our way, with ice and snow already hitting areas across Birmingham .
CCTV shows a dark figure dumping the dog- A pet dog suffering with cancer has been put down after being dumped at an animal rescue in what officials said is the worst abandonment of any animal they have witnessed .
At least three people have been killed and more than 100 injured, some seriously, in two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon .
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
FULL OF STUNNING colours and swirling shapes, the furrows on these fields create a mix of mesmerising patterns .
BALANCING 30 metres above ground, these slackliners take the expression of living dangerously one step further, by tightrope walking NAKED .
A PENSIONER was left with a fractured jaw after being beaten and robbed outside his home in Birmingham last weekend .
STRETCHING his little legs in the air, a smiley leaf-tailed gecko breaks free from his old, scaly skin .
AN OLD ENGLISH cottage packed full of history and valuables has been left to rot .
Sprawled out on top of a log, this sleeping leopard takes a relaxing break from his daily routine .