|
|
|
|
|
A grizzly bear named 'Koda' is photographed in Frazier Park, Kern, California. Well-known fine art photographer Jill Greenberg has taken a series of studio portraits of bears. Known for her ability to bring human qualities to animals, the 44-year-old, Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based artist says: "I wanted to create images of these majestic beasts unlike anything we had seen before. I set up a studio outside to show the intensity and allow an intimate view of these powerful beasts." "Humans have a unique attachment to bears, many of us grow up with teddy bears and, sometimes we call big people bear-like." she says. Working with professional animal trainers like Mark Dumas in Vancouver, Jill collaborated with the many trainers and owners to achieve the best angle and pose, always careful to make sure not to make any sudden moves or loud noises to call attention to and create a dangerous situation for herself or her crew. |
|
|
view Bear portraits by Jill Greenberg as presented by: Telegraph Media Group |
|
|
|
These breathtaking images capture the hidden depths of the world's biggest cave passage - so large the end is yet to be found. Hidden in the depths of the Vietnamese jungle lies The Hang Son Doong, part of a network of over 150 caves. Surrounded by jungle and used in the Vietnam war as a hideout from American bombardments, the cave passage is so large that it could hold a block of 40-storey skyscrapers. Its entrance was only rediscovered by British cavers in 2009. The cave passage in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park was originally thought to be a modest 150 metres long and 200 feet high. But these images - taken during two further expeditions of the caves - show the previously undiscovered depths of the cave passage, now the largest in the world. At a mammoth 2.5 miles long, 330ft wide and almost 800ft high, Hang Son Doong - also known as Mountain River Cave - is as high as 25 double decker buses. The cave, lit from above through a skylight, is one of a network of some 150 connected caverns, many still not surveyed, in the Annamite mountains. And as shown in these amazing images taken by photographer Carsten Peter, there is even a jungle concealed deep inside the cave. Mr Carsten, from Munich, Germany took the images in 2010 when he joined British and German cavers during further expeditions of the site. |
|
|
|
view Vietnam Caves: Inside The Giant Jungle Cavern Of The Hang Son Doong as presented by: Telegraph Media Group |
|
|
|
These photographs show the beautiful and eerie underwater world of a Swiss ice-filled Alpine lake. An ice wall seen from underwater, with the mountains in the background. Taken in Lake Sassolo, close to the southern border with Italy, these shots were taken by diving photographer Franco Banfi. A scuba diver swims inside an ice cave in Lake Sassolo in Sambuco Valley, Ticino, Switzerland. |
|
|
|
view Scuba Divers Swim Alongside Beautiful Ice Formations In A Lake In Switzerland as presented by: Telegraph Media Group |
|
|
|
The red kite was once on the brink of extinction, but now the bird of prey is once again soaring over the British countryside. Part time nature photographer Gareth Scanlon captured the birds play-fighting in mid-air from his back garden in Brynnamman in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Red kites in England and Scotland have been reintroduced from Germany, France and Spain. Now there are estimated to be up to 700 breeding pairs of red kites in England and 130 pairs in Scotland. These birds were once considered a pest in Britain and by the 18th Century humans had wiped out all red kites in England and Scotland. Only in Wales did they cling on to life - with a few breeding pairs surviving in remote parts of mid-Wales by the late 1970s. |
|
|
|
view Red Kites are on the Increase in Britain as presented by: Telegraph Media Group |
|
|
|
Augo the polar bear cub plays with a giant red ball at Aalborg Zoo in Denmark. Augo used to be attached to his blue bucket, which he would wear on his head, but now he has a new toy. Visitors to Aalborg Zoo have been treated to the sight of Augo hugging and nuzzling his bright ball and leaping into the pool and chasing it around. A greedy chipmunk stuffs its mouth with corn on the cob. The cheeky creature pounced on the cob within minutes of photographer Barbara Lynne hanging it in her back garden in Ontario, Canada, for the birds. Barbara says: "We call her Eleanor, however we are not sure whether she is male or female. Eleanor is always a pig and stuffs her cheeks until she looks ready to explode. She runs back to her den to empty her pouches - and starts stuffing them all over again." A bear cub named Medo plays with the Logar family dog in Podvrh village, Slovenia. The Logar family has adopted the three-and-half-month-old bear cub that strolled into their yard about a month ago. |
|
|
|
view Animal Pictures of the Week: 3 June 2011 as presented by: Telegraph Media Group |
|
|
|
Biochemist and photographer Igor Siwanowicz has spent the last five years photographing reptiles and amphibians of all shapes, colours and sizes. Above, a Cranwell's horned frog tries to take a bite out of Igor's finger. A baby chameleon excitedly faces the camera lens with what looks more like a gleeful smile than a threatening grimace. "I followed the development of a bunch of Kinyongia chameleons from being just few weeks old to adulthood," Igor said. "I admire the attitude of the babies of the species - at just an inch in body length they do everything to intimidate you." "Animal's behaviour is not entirely unpredictable so it's always good to devote some time to observation of animal's behaviour prior the session. Some reptiles - especially chameleons - are prone to stress and cannot be handled for too long a time." |
|
|
|
view Reptiles and amphibians photographed by Igor Siwanowicz as presented by: Telegraph Media Group |
|
|
|
A new book gives a glimpse into the life of one of the planet's most endangered animals - the mountain gorilla. For his book, Gorillas: Living on the Edge, wildlife photographer Andy Rouse travelled to the mist-covered Virunga Volcanoes in Rwanda to capture the daily activities of gorillas on camera. In another encounter Andy gets a taste of the huge mammals' power when he is charged by a young silverback flexing his muscles. With an estimated 786 left in the wild, these magnificent animals are living life on the very edge of extinction. However, thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of conservationists they're gradually fighting their way back from the brink. |
|
|
|
view Gorillas Living on the Edge as presented by: Telegraph Media Group |
|
|
|
This impressive collection of pictures taken by Joshua Lambus, in Hawaii reveals the colourful creatures that are just a few centimetres in size. They are found in water more than 7,000ft deep, off the coast of Kailua-Kona. Among the 'colour x-ray' style images are pictures of rare squids, jellyfish and shrimp. Joshua Lambus said: "The colours they produce are the naturally reflected colours of their pigmentation." Joshua became a minor celebrity after he photographed a tiny octopus, called a tremoctopus - only the second time the animal had been captured on camera. Joshua Lambus has now been on more than 400 'blackwater' dives. He adds that: "The lack of light and reference is the closest thing I could imagine to being in space." |
|
|
|
view Glowing Deep Sea Creatures Photographed By Joshua Lambus as presented by: Telegraph Media Group |
|
|
|