PERCHED on a branch, this Little Owl plays third wheel to two love birds. Clearly not bothered by their uncomfortable onlooker, the owls pucker up and put on a very public display of affection. This trio of Little Owls were photographed by Uzbek photographer Ilia Shalamaev, 36, after he spotted the scene on a trip to the town of Kiryat Gat, Israel. “Here you can see a family of owls playing and having fun on a branch, not far from their nesting place,” says Ilia, now of Beit Hashmonay, Israel.
Some will get up close and personal with Mother Nature’s deadliest animals to get the perfect shot, posing the question, what lengths will a photographer go to for that all important picture? But in this case, the question should be what depths .
WELCOME to the real Frankenstein's lab where carefully pickled creatures are left to stew in jars .
GETTING behind the camera, this monkey practices his photography skills on his friends .
A mother is living in fear after the stalker she holds responsible for her daughter's death is back on the streets, after serving just one year in prison .
A DARING duo take their chances and scale this spectacular 82ft frozen waterfall before it collapses .
Splashing around in the water, a mother otter and her son are tangled in a family feud .
A brave leopard kicks back and relaxes in the sunshine - just inches from an enormous crocodile .
A pair of chicks bravely decided to befriend a python, despite being the snake's favourite choice of food .
LIKE A living balloon this baitball of sardines is ready to burst when threatened by a pointy nosed sailfish .
This cheeky chappie is getting into all kinds of monkey business as he enjoys cooling off on a scorching hot day .
A little boy was left fighting for his life in hospital after a horrific allergic reaction to epilepsy medication made his skin fall off in chunks .
This artist had a lot of bottle to re-create a masterpiece painted with nothing but 24 litres of cola .