The Malabar Giant squirrel – double the size of their grey relatives and measuring up to 36 inches (91.5 cm) from head to tail – lives deep in the forests of India. The athletic animals can leap an incredible 20 feet (6 m) between trees. Photographer Kaushik Vijayan, 39, snapped the animals in their native habit to produce these stunning images. Kaushik, from Kerala State, India, said: “Up until that point I had never heard about a squirrel like that or seen one. The sight was an absolute feast for my eyes. The squirrels fascinated me and I got excited to capture this beauty on my camera”. (Photo by Kaushik Vijayan/South West News Service)

An Indian artist gives the finishing touches to a figure of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha at a workshop ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in New Delhi on September 15, 2015. The idol is meant for the forthcoming festival Ganesha Chaturthi, a ten-day long event which is celebrated all over India. During the Ganpati festival, that is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ganesha, idols of the Hindu deity are worshipped at hundreds of pandals or makeshift tents before they are immersed into water bodies. This year, the festival starts on 17 September 2015. (Photo by Sajjad Hussain/AFP Photo)

A Palestinian man takes a selfie picture next to a camel at a livestock market in the West Bank city of Hebron on August 9, 2019, as muslims prepare for the Eid al-Adha celebrations. Known as the “big” festival, Eid Al-Adha is celebrated each year by Muslims sacrificing various animals according to religious traditions, including cows, camels, goats and sheep. (Photo by Hazem Bader/AFP Photo)

A Hindu devotee prepares for Annakut or Goverdhan puja at Naba Brindaban temple in Kolkata on November 14, 2023. Annakut or Govardhan Puja is a Hindu festival in which devotees prepare and offer a large variety of vegetarian food to Lord Krishna as a sign of gratitude for saving them from floods as per Hindu Mythology. (Photo by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A woman holds her veil as she takes part in Huranga, a game played between men and women a day after Holi, at Dauji temple near Mathura, March 3, 2018. (Photo by Adnan Abidi/Reuters)

A fisherwoman prepares a meal in her home in a fishing village in Virar, about 40 km (25 miles) from Mumbai December 27, 2005. (Photo by Adeel Halim/Reuters)

Sue Hall goes for a walk in Charlton village in Worcestershire on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Heavy rain could bring flooding and travel disruption across much of the UK on Wednesday and Thursday with an amber warning issued for part of the country. (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)