BEAR CUBS AND DOTING MUM

A little brown bear cub shows his doting mum that she is always on parent duty as he uses her as a scratching post. These adorable photographs of two playful bear cubs and their watchful mum were captured by American nature photographer D. Robert Franz, 56, on a visit to Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. 'What we see in these photographs is the interaction between the mother brown bear and her two cubs,' says D. Robert, of Cody, Wyoming.

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ABANDONED CALIFORNIAN GOLD RUSH TOWN

A once bustling gold rush town in Mono County, California now stands completed deserted .

FREE RIDE

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PORCUPINES COME CLOSE TO VICTORY AGAINST PRIDE OF HUNGRY LIONS

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NATURE PAPS

NATURE PAPARAZZIS prove you don't have to be Justin Bieber or Cheryl Cole to attract a pack of photographers .

Desperate dog set off alarm before police smashed car window in Exmouth

The dog having been pulled from the car - A police officer smashed a window in the blue Chrysler car to free the dog which was in visible distress .

A SMILEY GECKO SHEDS ITS SKIN AS HEATWAVE HITS BRITAIN

STRETCHING his little legs in the air, a smiley leaf-tailed gecko breaks free from his old, scaly skin .

HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE? COUPLE TIE THE KNOT UNDERWATER

A diving mad couple have finally taken the plunge, having tied the knot 30ft underwater .

DOG CAN FINALLY SEE OWNER AGAIN THANKS TO £1K FACELIFT

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PELICANS CLASH OVER FOOD

LIFTING their heads high and bumping beaks, these aggressive pelicans clash over fish .

IT'S BEHIND YOU: PHOTOGRAPHER IN WALES IGNORES GIANT WAVES

Southern England, the south-west and west Wales have been warned to expect more wild weather, with heavy rain and high tides possibly leading to coastal flooding and travel disruption over the weekend .