Swedish brown bear woke up from their winter hibernation

A pair of Swedish brown bear siblings named Fred and Frode woke up from their winter hibernation at the Naturund Umweltpark Guestrow animal park in Germany on January 27, 2012. The eight-year-old bears' awakening was 2 weeks earlier than last year.

White pelicans

A pair of white pelicans peer at the camera while resting in their enclosure at the Frankfurt Zoological Garden in Frankfurt, Germany, on January 27, 2012.

New Year's rites at the Shinto shrine

Sumo referee Shonosuke Kimura walks to the Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan, while being followed by sumo wrestlers Kyokutenho and grand champion Hakuho, to perform New Year's rites at the Shinto shrine.

Asian short-clawed otter grawn at fish

A fish serves as a meal for an Asian short-clawed otter at the Chester Zoo in Chester, northern England. The Asian short-clawed otter is the smallest member of the otter species and is native to India, China, and surrounding territories. A breeding program at the Chester Zoo has been successful at multiplying the numbers of otters residing at the zoo since the otters are classified as 'vulnerable' in the wild.

Daphne of Scooby Doo

Daphne of Scooby Doo fame can't seem to figure out what to do with a flimsy nightie that probably wouldn't fit her leg, much less her entire body. Artwork by deviantArtist qiqo.

Shining Tree in a Sacred Place

Fumiaki Nagashima and Mami Nagashima Maruoka of Japanese architectural design studio 'MoNo' present their installation titled, 'Shining Tree in a Sacred Place' which pays tribute to the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and consequent tsunami in early 2011. The installation was erected at the Oshioi Shrine located in Shiga, Japan.
MoNo describes their installation as follows: "This art work was dedicated to the people who had passed away in several disasters in this year 2011.　Especially in Japan, the massive earthquake hit this country land with the huge tsunami so much that　considerable damage and profound sorrow came to us.　MoNo had the opportunity to join the illumination event “Kusatsu Machiakari Yumeakari Hanaakari – on autumnal Kusatsu road with sensory gratification”, which got over 30 thousands visitors. So MoNo could open our work as one of programs of “Akari Art Exhibition” which were held in some historic shrines and temples."

New York: No Pants Subway Ride 2012 photos

The 11th annual 'No Pants Subway Ride' took place in New York City, London, Washington, Mexico City, and other metropolitan areas on Sunday, January 8, 2011, where participants took to the subway in their drawers, underwear, and skivvies. According to event organizer Improv Everywhere, over 6,300 people accepted the no-pants challenge on their Facebook page.

Woman bodyguards trainees

A group of college graduates race through the shallow surf in a training exercise held in Sanya, located in Hainan province, China on January 8, 2012. The training session was conducted by the Tianjiao Special Guard/Security Consultant Ltd. Co in an effort to find suitable candidates for their female bodyguard program. Trainees who pass the rigorous probationary period will study and train for 10 months in order to develop the skills necessary to become bodyguards. The trainee at the top of the class will get the opportunity to travel to Israel to continue her studies at the International Security Academy

Chefs Guinness World Record

A gathering of 617 chefs broke the Guinness World Record for the most people throwing chefs hats at once on January 9, 2012. The record-breaking feat took place at the Grand Place in Brussels, Belgium.

Praying with pets in Japan

Pet owners pose with their dogs at the Ichigaya Kamegaoka Hachimangu shrine in Tokyo, Japan. The shrine is unique in that it allows pet owners to pray with their dogs and cats for the New Year.

Football fans make marry

The Louisiana State University Tigers are facing off against the Alabama Crimson Tide tonight at Tiger Stadium in New Orleans for the BCS National Championship college football game. Fans for both teams converged on the French Quarter today to celebrate and make merry before the big game.

coins from the Byzantine Empire

Byzantine gold coins which were discovered in the Uckermark region of northeastern Germany are presented at the  state chancellery in Potsdam, Germany, on January 5, 2012. In the second photo, a coin bearing the the imprint of  Merovingian King Theudebert is held aloft by the gloved hand of an archaeologist.

Tons of herring washed up on Kvennes in Nordreisa

Tons of herring were found washed up on a beach at Kvennes in Nordreisa, northern Norway, on January 2, 2011. Jan-Petter Jorgensen was walking his dog Molly when the two chanced upon the unusual and unforgettable catch of the day.

Photo: The Milky Way

Bruce Webster, age 51, moseyed on down to the Goblin Valley State Park in Green River, Utah, and snapped a photograph of the Milky Way. Said Webster, "I know where all the secret spots are to capture the beauty of the Milky Way at night. To see our place in the scheme of things is what makes my spine tingle when I take these pictures."



Photo: American actress Dakota Fanning

American actress Dakota Fanning appears in Elle UK February 2012 as photographed by David Slijper and styled by Anne-Marie Curtis in Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Jonathan Saunders, Prada, and Dolce & Gabbana. In the interview that accompanies the pictorial, Fanning talks about age, appearance, and her sister Elle. On age: “I feel like I’ve lived a long time, but then I realize, ‘Oh, I’m actually only 17.’ I don’t think there should be an age limit on an interest, do you know what I mean?”

Germany: a circus of ice

The annual ice sculpture show held at a farm located Roevershagen, Germany opened to the public on December 23, 2011 where over 1300 blocks of ice were used to create this year's theme of 'a circus of ice.' Sculptors from Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine worked in freezing temperature to create the sculptures which are on display until the end of February 2012.
In the photo below, a pinkish-illuminated gymnast ice sculpture by Lithuanian sculptor Andrius Petkus is seen in the foreground. According to Petkus, "Ice is a quite difficult material. You must understand it. Sometimes you need a few years to get it. Some carvers they cannot get the ice in 10 years. It has a transparency. So step by step, step by step, you are going and getting this ice."