Pinning a purple flower into her bleach blonde hair, pretty Ava admired herself in the mirror. She had every reason to be proud. In the space of a year, she had lost an incredible 17 stone. Her weight dropped from 37st 1lbs to 19st 7lbs, and she slipped into a dress before gazing at her newly svelte figure. With her smokey eye makeup and black skater dress, she could have been glamming up for a night on the tiles with her girlfriends. Instead, it was Halloween, 2013, and Ava was hiding a huge secret. Born a boy named William, it was the first time she had ever dressed as a girl – and everything fell into place.
RAISING his flipper, this two day old seal pup gives a wave to the camera .
FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .
FROM ICE bubbles to boiling lava, these photographs highlight the stunning shapes and patterns found in nature .
A woman whose daughter committed suicide after being raped as a child, has revealed she donated her organs - saving four peoples’ lives .
FISTS fly as two gorillas take each other on in a dramatic battle .
A young polar bear cub becomes the yogi bear as she stretches off for a morning aerobics session .
This longhorn beetle demon-strates a dark side as it looks just like the devil .
CARRYING a fully grown goat on his back, this five-year-old boy is a child shepherd in the mountains of northern Ethiopia .
From vivid greens to glowing pinks, the colours of the aurora borealis fill the night sky above a snow covered Lapland .
An intrepid explorer hopes to be reunited with his travel partner, after his cuddly toy companion was stolen .
These are the faces of orphans suffering from the horrifying effects of chemical warfare .