AN expectant mum suffered crippling contractions lasting a gruelling two months, due to complications from a rare condition .

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 .

An adorable black bear cub struggles to find the perfect spot for an afternoon nap as he wriggles around on the branch of a maple tree .

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

With an abandoned tricycle sitting in an empty corridor, this derelict but once grand mansion could be the setting for The Shining .

A young otter wades through a lake with his eyes set on an older rival’s 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 .

WIDE EYED and staring straight down the lens of the camera, this intrigued seal is ready for his close up .

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

A woman has released pictures of the horrific injuries she suffered when her jealous ex attacked her with a brick .

TUGGING on the wing of his sibling, this needy owl is after some attention .

WITH LUSH GREEN LANDSCAPES stretching out as far as the eye can see, you're in for a treat at these one of a kind treehouses .