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)

Children dressed as Santa Clause play with a soccer ball as they celebrate at their school ahead of Christmas in Chennai on December 23, 2021. (Photo by Arun Sankar/AFP Photo)

A survivor of a residential building's collapse lays in an ambulance in Bhiwandi, outskirts of Mumbai, India, 21 September 2020. According to reports, at least 10 people died and several are feared to be trapped under the rubble of the three-storey residential building. (Photo by Divyakant Solanki/EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Woman carrying luggage walks along a railway track on the outskirts of Mumbai, India on November 12, 2020. (Photo by Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters)

A model wears a creation during the presentation of Chanel Cruise collection in Paris, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Chanel is hosting its itinerant resort show, destined for glamorous women who sojourn on cruise ships. (Photo by Francois Mori/AP Photo)

A man transports a car on a horse cart to a repair shop along a street in Amritsar on May 6, 2021. (Photo by Narinder Nanu/AFP Photo)

An idol of elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh is transported in a taxi in Kolkata, India, Wednesday, September 8, 2021. The idol is being taken home for worship ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi festival that celebrates the birth of Ganesha. (Photo by Bikas Das/AP Photo)

Travellers wait in queue to test for COVID-19 at a train station in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, November 30, 2021. (Photo by Rafiq Maqbool/AP Photo)