The bloodwood tree (Pterocarpus angolensis) is a deciduous tree with a high canopy, reaching about 15m in height and has dark bark. The red sap is used traditionally as a dye and in some areas mixed with animal fat to make a cosmetic for faces and bodies. It is also believed to have magical properties for the curing of problems concerning blood, apparently because of its close resemblance to blood. The name bloodwood for these trees stems from the dark red to brown sap that accumulates on wounds on the trunks.

Throughout the course of the long war in Afghanistan, Coalition troops have relied on thousands of military working dogs to help keep them safe, and make their jobs easier. The dogs are trained to detect explosives, to find illegal drugs, to search for missing comrades, or target enemy combatants. Not only are they active on the front lines, but behind the lines they serve as therapy dogs, service dogs, and loyal companions. They also share the same risks as the ground troops, suffering injuries and sometimes death on the battlefields. Gathered here are images of these dogs and their handlers in Afghanistan and back home, from over the past several years, part of the ongoing series here on Afghanistan.

Daredevil Christopher Gillette writhes around with a huge alligator he has saved from death. He works at a Florida sanctuary that rescues the wild beasts if they stroll into neighbourhoods where residents can legally kill them. To raise cash for the centre at Homestead, staff put on shows to feed and wrestle the alligators. Photographer John Chapa, 41, and girlfriend Adriana Canargo, 30, took these shots. Photo: Assistant photographer Adriana Canargo dives with a wild alligator. (Photo by John Chapa/Barcroft Media)

Angora rabbit Emilson sits next to its freshly shaved hair at Georgia Spausta's small farm in Herzogbirbaum, Austria March 10, 2015. Spausta produces hand-spun yarn from some 25 angora rabbits which is sold in small scale to enthusiasts or at local markets. The rabbits are clipped four times a year, each time giving some 300 grams of wool, about the amount needed to knit one pullover. (Photo by Heinz-Peter Bader/Reuters)

Beachgoers are hit by a wave in La Libertad May 3, 2015. El Salvador emergency authorities declared a green alert along the pacific coats due to a large swell that affected the Salvadoran coast and originated from the extra-tropical storms that formed in New Zealand and the Southern hemisphere, according to El Salvador's ministry of environment and natural resources. (Photo by Jose Cabezas/Reuters)

A man rides his bicycle as a wave crashes at La Libertad malecon on May 13, 2015. El Salvador emergency authorities has declared an orange alert along the Pacific coast due to a large swell that affected the Salvadoran coast. The swell originated from the extra-tropical storms that formed in New Zealand and the Southern hemisphere, according to El Salvador's Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. (Photo by Jose Cabezas/Reuters)

Alpacas of Lisa Vella-Gatt (not pictured) graze at her farm near Benfeita, Portugal May 11, 2015. Lisa came to Portugal from England in 2009 to set up Monte Frio Alpacas, a project where she breeds alpacas, which produce wool. Lisa's 14 alpacas produce about 50 kilos (110 pounds) of wool annually. (Photo by Rafael Marchante/Reuters)

Kim Joon is a Korean artist who specializes in creating images that resemble hollow porcelain human body parts painted in bold patterns from famous ceramic brands including Royal Copenhagen, Herend, and Villeroy & Boch. His latest project is called The Rocker and features a number of pictures of porcelain hands laying on a dish patterned in style of different famous rock bands of the past. The images are so vivid that it makes you think that these hands are actually real and not digitally crafted, though it would be amazing, if someone were to actually make a creation such as this in real life. (Photo by Kim Joon)