CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia .

Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .

FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .

The gunslingers are long gone and tumbleweeds have taken over at this abandoned American Wild West Theme Park in Cornwall .

The UK's first hotline - and possibly the galaxy's - for people who have been targeted by aliens has opened to the public .

A quiet Himalayan mountain village springs to life for a colourful Buddhist festival designed to expel evil spirits and bring happiness .

This frozen lighthouse in Michigan could easily be mistaken for a still from the snow swept disaster movie The Day After Tomorrow .

Surveying its surroundings, a tiny harvest mouse climbs the stem of a dandelion .

Swirling water and sand create amazing aerial images of river deltas across Iceland .

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

A mother-of-four has revealed how her daughter tragically took her own life after being subjected to horrific abuse at the hands of her ex-partner .

Pouncing down on top of his twin brother, these two snow leopard cubs practice their kung-fu moves .