A dramatic rise in owning exotic pets in China is fuelling global demand for threatened species. The growing trade in alligators, snakes, monkeys, crocodiles and spiders is directly linked to species loss in some of the world’s most threatened ecosystems. Here: A fennec fox (Vulpes zerda) is groomed in a pet store in central Beijing. Native to the Sahara in North Africa, the species became a popular pet after being depicted as a character in Disney’s 2016 animated movie Zootopia. Individuals can cost between $2,000–$3,000. (Photo by Sean Gallagher/The Guardian)

The Balance Bike Quad Eliminator being run (and organised) by GT Bicycles at the Malverns Classic, Start Line, Eastnor Deer Park, Eastnor, in Herefordshire on Friday 26th August 2022. Youngsters enjoy the thrills & spills of balance bike riding as they partake in the annual event held in rural Herefordshire. The thrills and spills as rider No. 013, Kelia Ranes tries hard to avoid a fallen competitor. (Photo by Richard Stanton/The Times)

Dancers from the “Legend Lin Dance Theatre” perform the artistic director and choreographer Li-chen Lin's classic works “Hymne aux Fleurs qui Passent, Anthem to the Fading Flowers” during a rehearsal at the National Theater Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, Tuesday, August 18, 2015. “Hymne aux Fleurs Qui Passent” pays tribute to the cycle of the year and the complementary principles of Yin and Yang whose eternal struggle provides the driving force behind the changing of the seasons. (Photo by Chiang Ying-ying/AP Photo)

A folk performer (front R) with make-up and props takes part in a “Blood Shehuo” parade, during a performance in Linyi county, Shanxi province March 21, 2015. “Shehuo” is the common name of Chinese traditional activities consisting of folk performances in northern China. The “Blood Shehuo” performers use make-up and props to re-enact scenes of horror in classic Chinese novels like Water Margin. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

Gerald Herbert is a staff photographer for the AP based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Before that he was a staff photographer for the Washington Times, the New York Daily News and a freelancer for the AP in New Orleans, Boston and New York. Photo: A worker grooms away tracks after an alligator crossed through a sand trap on the 14th hole during the first round of the PGA Tour Zurich Classic golf tournament at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, La., Thursday, April 25, 2013. (Photo by Gerald Herbert/AP Photo)

Artist Christopher Lovell counts himself lucky to have been a child of the 80s. The toys, cartoons and movies of the era left him spellbound, fueling his imagination. He finds this inspiration allows him to express himself very naturally through his art. Having developed a deep interest in fantasy and sci-fi, he spent his childhood and teen years immersed in every aspect of creativity he could access.

The first Australian Kangaroo gold coin issued by The Perth Mint in 1989 featured an iconic bounding Red Kangaroo. Designed by Dr Stuart Devlin AO CMG, goldsmith and jeweller to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, this classic creation has since been featured on the kilo release each year in the highly sought-after bullion series.

With temperatures soaring and summer well underway, countless Americans will be spending their Independence Day weekend at the beach. Here we revisit some classic images from the turn-of-the-century to the 1930's of vacations by the sea, from Coney Island to Santa Monica.