An engineer begins the process of conducting a block-by-block inspection of the exterior of the Washington Monument while suspended by ropes September 27, 2011 in Washington, DC. The National Park Service has closed the landmark in the nation's capital indefinitely due to damage caused by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in August. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

O Santa Claus of Australia competes in the mens 80–84 years 100 metres heats during day two of the 2009 Sydney World Masters Games at Sydney Olympic Park on October 11, 2009 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

The London 2012 ArcelorMittal Orbit Sculpture at the Olympic park nears completion on November 4, 2011 in London, England. The Ј22 million sculpture designed by Anish Kapoor is nearly complete. Standing at 115 meters tall the permanent structure is Britain's largest artwork and houses an observation deck near the top. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

“My name is In Cherl Kim. I'm a PR manager of Samsung Everland. Everland is a largest theme park in South Korea. Everland has a variety of attractions and flower garden and entertainment. Among other things, Everland zoo is very unique place!” – In Cherl Kim. Photo: Ring tailed lemur. (Photo by In Cherl Kim)

Brave photographer Masa Ushioda captured the shots of this wild gator in vast marsh land in the Everglades National Park, in Florida, USA. He said: “Bright sunlight and blue sky were critical elements in this picture – in addition to getting a wild 10-foot alligator in the middle of the viewfinder with a perfect angle”.

Mount Nyiragongo is an active stratovolcano On the Virunga Mountains associated with the Albertine Rift. It is located inside Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, about 20 km (12 mi) north of the town of Goma and Lake Kivu and just west of the border with Rwanda. The main crater is about two km wide and usually contains a lava lake.

Three years ago, Shane Willmott wowed the world with his surfing mice. Now, the Australian has taken on a new challenge - training his radical rodents to skateboard. Mr Willmott, who lives in the Gold Coast area of eastern Australia, near Brisbane, has even built his furry friends a mini skate park. Fearless mice Harvey and Pedro take on ramps, half-pipes and even a deadly ring of fire.

IT'S a relatively simple idea – set up a mirror so you can capture the reflection of a dramatic landscape in a single photograph. Photographer Daniel Kukla, from New York, created a spectacular series of artworks called The Edge Effect using the technique. He clamped the mirror onto an easel and placed it in various settings in the Joshua Tree National Park, California.