In one of the planet’s most desolate and harsh terrains, the Altai Mountains which run from Siberia in Russia down to Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, hunting with eagles is currently only practiced by a handful of Kyrgyz and Kazakhs. This form of falconry, the practice of hunting with the aid of birds of prey, can be traced back as far as 4,000 years in Central Asia. Here: after a successful hunt, a proud hunter rewards his eagle by feeding it the lungs of the prey, which is considered the most highly prized part of the animal. (Photo by Tariq Zaidi/The Washington Post)

This huge male orangutan is having a right old laugh as he squints his eyes and shows his huge teeth. The orangutan, called Bimbo, was relaxing on a platform around 5m high in his enclosure when he broke out into a laugh. But his happy smile soon disappeared when another orangutan came over to see what was going on. Bimbo – the only male in the group of five apes at Leipzig Zoo, in Germany - appears to be laughing in much the same way as a human would. (Photo by Martina Radtke/Solent News)

Girls, who are part of Afghan Mobile Mini Circus for Children (MMCC), participate in a juggling competition in Kabul, Afghanistan August 12, 2015. The MMCC, founded by David Mason from Denmark, teaches cooperation and creativity to children scarred by years of war in Afghanistan. Despite the dangers, the project has grown so popular that it now runs centres in ten provinces and has hundreds of regular students. The circus makes visits to internally displaced persons' camps, schools, orphanages, and holds annual festivals. The children are taught the skills of juggling clubs, walking on stilts and acrobatics. (Photo by Ahmad Masood/Reuters)

A bride from the Santa Marta slum takes a break after getting her makeup done before a group wedding in Rio de Janeiro December 17, 2014. A total of 16 couples took part in a mass wedding ceremony organized by the Police Peacekeeping Unit (UPP) as part of activities geared towards social enhancement of the slums. (Photo by Pilar Olivares/Reuters)

Personal possessions of 2004 tsunami victims are arranged to be photographed outside a police station in Takua Pa, in Phang Nga province December 19, 2014. Thai police opened a shipping container filled with documents and possessions of victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami after being asked by Reuters for permission to film its contents. The three metre by 12 metre container was handed over to Thai police in 2011 and contains hundreds of plastic police evidence bags – each one holding the precious items found on the body of a victim. (Photo by Damir Sagolj/Reuters)

Dont get catty. These roar-some images show the moment two female tigers came to blows in a bitter dispute over territory. Rarely ever seen in the wild let alone on camera, the dramatic images show a white Siberian tiger and orange-coloured tiger slashing ferociously at each others face and eyes. The intense altercation erupted into violence when the smallest of the pair, the orange striped tiger known as Shadow, attempted to expand its hunting ground. But white tiger, TiBo, wasnt willing to give up the ground without a fight and was forced to use its size and weight to put Shadow firmly back in her place. (Photo by Alex Kirichko/Caters News/SIPA Press)

Family of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 react at a waiting area in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya December 28, 2014. Indonesia's air force was searching for the AirAsia plane carrying 162 people that went missing on Sunday after the pilots asked to change course to avoid bad weather during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. The Airbus 320-200 lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control at 6:17 a.m. (23:17 GMT), officials said. (Photo by Reuters/Beawiharta)

People in traditional dance before competing in the 53rd Verdiales music contest in Malaga, southern Spain December 28, 2014. Verdiales is a form of traditional Flamenco music, which is common in the province of Malaga. Members of singing groups, known as “pandas”, wear traditional costumes decked with flowers and other accessories as they perform in the contest, which is held annually on December 28. (Photo by Jon Nazca/Reuters)