Hwang Bo-young (L), a North Korean defector who was a member of the North Korean National female ice hockey team, prepares for practice with South Korean teammates on March 13, 2006 in Seoul, South Korea. Young, 27-years-old, became a captain of the South Korean National Female Ice Hockey Team. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Banger racers take part in one of the final races of the banger racing season at the Mendip Raceway on October 9, 2011 in Cheddar, England. Banger racing is a popular contact motorsport, especially in the UK and Ireland – in which drivers of old and scrap vehicles race against one another around a dirt or tarmac race track, while deliberately attempting to destroy opposing vehicles. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

A gallery assistant holds a print of an Andy Warhol artwork estimated to fetch 1,500 GBP in Bonhams auction house on November 25, 2011 in London, England. The auction of prints of works ranging from old masters to contemporary artists takes place in London on November 29, 2011. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

David and Lana Fechter have recently adopted two adorable Siberian bear cubs that were rejected by their mother at a Chicago zoo. The two nine-week-old male cubs, Lewis and Clark, are being kept in an inside closure and are being bottle fed. When the twins get bigger and more independent, they’ll be be given a large natural enclosure with ponds and ridges to live in at Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary.

Meet the snake-mimicking butterfly (Dynastor darius). While this slick master of disguise may show off impeccable imitation skills, prior to taking on this serpentine appearance it was simply a furry, nondescript caterpillar, and it looked pretty much how you would expect any old caterpillar to look.

German photographer Tanja Brandt has created a series which captures the absolutely heart-breaking friendship between Ingo, her two-year-old German Shepherd, and a tiny owl called Napoleon. "Ingo is not always the calmest dog, however when he is around the birds, and particularly Napoleon, he is very soft and gentle", said the photographer. "He seems very at peace with them".

The Angel Oak Tree is a Southern live oak located in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island near Charleston, South Carolina. The Angel Oak Tree is estimated to be at least 400 years old[citation needed]. It stands 66.5 ft (20 m) tall, measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 m2). Its longest branch distance is 187 ft. in length. Angel Oak was the 210th tree to be registered with the Live Oak Society.

Yulin, a city in southern China, celebrates the summer solstice by throwing a festival that involves the slaughter and consumption of as many as 10,000 dogs. Not everyone in China supports such practices, however; 65-year-old Yang Xiaoyun, a retired teacher who runs an animal shelter in Tianjin, traveled more than 2,400 km (1,500 miles) and spent more than 7,000 yuan ($1,100 or €990) to save 100 dogs from certain death.