PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner. The adult barn swallow arrives and hovers in mid-air, with an insect hanging from its beak. The six-legged treat is then delivered directly into the young bird’s open mouth, with the mother bird still hovering above. Wildlife photographer Menno Schaefer, of Zaandam, Netherlands, captured the moment during a trip to an open field in Spaarnwoude, a village north of Amsterdam.
Meet the human CCTV: a PCSO with a memory for faces so sharp he has apprehended more than 130 suspects in the last year alone with his eagle eyed talents .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .
Most people have an angel at the top of their Christmas tree, but one bear at Chester Zoo decided he wanted to be the star of the show .
Sophie Carr, 23, from Swindon, was just six when her older brother Alex, then 12, abused her during a game of mummies and daddies .
PERCHING on top of a gate, this young barn swallow waits patiently for his mum to return with dinner .
Whether they’re sharing a bath or snuggled up during a nap, a baby and his bulldog buddy make an utterly adorable twosome .
HUDDLING under a leaf, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls take shelter from the rain .
HUDDLED together on a branch, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls soak up the sun .
A former obese woman has told how she lost 19st, but was so terrified of gaining weight that she ended up developing an eating disorder .
Magical photos of your baby smiling for the first time are a priceless treasure for many a proud parent .