An elephant enjoys its back being scrubbed by the keeper on March 1, 1950. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)

A villager dries chillies on September 1, 2020 in Bijie, Guizhou Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

These beautiful photos capture the tender moments between two young boys who share a unique bond with animals. Elena Shumilova, from Andreapol, Russia, began taking pictures of her sons Yaroslav and Vanya in early 2012 when she received her first professional camera. The pair were immediately accepted by the animals from a young age and their incredible bond continues to strengthen as they get older. Elena, 32, was able to capture images her boys playing with such animals as rabbits, dogs, cats and ducks as they become totally immersed in their communication with their furry friends. (Photo by Elena Shumilova)

A Chinese rescuer evacuates a young boy from flooded areas caused by heavy rains in Changsha city, central China's Hunan provincehangsha, capital of Hunan on July 3, 2017. (Photo by Imaginechina/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A man runs on a small road in the outskirts of Frankfurt, Germany, before sunrise on Tuesday, September 1, 2020. (Photo by Michael Probst/AP Photo)

An Afghan burqa-clad woman carries a child as she walks along a road in Herat on October 1, 2023. (Photo by Mohsen Karimi/AFP Photo)

People see in the new year at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 1, 2024. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

A model poses in front of phone boxes for a photographer in London, United Kingdom on Friday, October 1, 2021. (Photo by Frank Augstein/AP Photo)