A GLOWING range of greens and blues sweep across the sky in a spectacular display of light. The night sky looks magical as hints of stars glisten amongst the colours. These spellbinding images of the Northern Lights were captured by Norwegian photographer Tor-Ivar Naess. Tor-Ivar developed a love for the Aurora Borealis after he became fascinated by the colour range of the natural phenomenon.
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
Some parents would gasp at the thought of their children playing with a toy gun, but these Russian children are actually encouraged to take up real arms .
Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks .
MASKED intruders look sinister but really they are a gang of urban exploring pranksters .
HUDDLED together in the hollow of a tree, it would be easy to overlook these two sleepy owls as they blend into the trunk .
A young mum-to-be who was told she would never fall pregnant due to a rare condition has decided to keep her miracle baby even though his birth could leave her paralysed and in pain forever .
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 .
SITTING quietly at the edge of the lake, these two baby bears watch and learn as the adults hunt for fish .
Sophie Carr, 23, from Swindon, was just six when her older brother Alex, then 12, abused her during a game of mummies and daddies .
Splashing around in the water, a mother otter and her son are tangled in a family feud .
A mum has celebrated each of her four pregnancies with a host of wacky stunts - including acrobatics, aerial contortion, pole-dancing and risque photo shoots .
A group of shelter dogs showcase their loveable personalities in a series of passport-style photographs - in the hope of finding their forever homes .