The week in wildlife

Balanga, Philippines: A blue-feathered Barn Swallow rests on a bamboo pole on a fishpond in search of food Photograph: Romeo Gacad/AFP/Getty Images

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The shadow of a frog is seen on a banana leaf Photograph: Zainal Abd Halim/Reuters

Frankfurt, Germany: Activist climbs between trees in a protest camp demonstrating against the clearing of a huge woodland area to make way for a new runway Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

Stroeder, Argentina: The outline of the head of dead cow is seen covered in sand. Farmers are asking for the government's help after a year of drought which has caused the death of thousands of animals and the loss of crops Photograph: Natacha Pisarenko/AP

Besancon, France: Newly born Madagascar lemur, an endangered species, at Besancon Zoo. There are only 17 Madagascan lemurs living in captivity worldwide Photograph: Jeff Pachoud/AFP/Getty Images

Birds rest on a sculpture of an ox outside the Hong Kong Stock Exchange January 20, 2009. Stock investors reeling from last year's market mayhem may take some solace from practitioners of the ancient Chinese art of feng shui. They predict calmer world markets in the coming Chinese Year of the Ox Photograph: Bobby Yip/Reuters

Australia: A bizarre carnivorous sea squirt, or ascidian, standing half a meter tall on the Australian seafloor on the Tasman Fracture Zone at a depth of 4,006 metres. The animal feeds opportunistically, triggered when a fish or any other swimming organism touches it. The animal is then trapped by the funnel-like front section, which collapses around the prey Photograph: HO/AFP/Getty Images

Skankpalai, Liberia: A close-up showing caterpillars who are devastating crops in Shankpalai. Known as army worms, the caterpillars – one of the world's most destructive insects – are gobbling up farmers' livelihoods in this impoverished west African country. The insects invaded towns and villages in the central part of the country two weeks ago, causing some inhabitants to flee Photograph: Zoom Dosso/AFP/Getty Images

Sydney, Australia: Keeper Stuart Kozlowski looks at a tiny southern corroboree frog at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Taronga is attempting to "salvage" animals from certain destruction due to climate change, habitat loss and deadly, introduced species Photograph: Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images

Guwahati City, India: A group of Greater Adjutant Stork searching for food Deepor Beel bird sanctuary. As the water level of the sanctuary has started receding, storks gathered in large numbers, hungry for fish. Earlier these big birds were largely seen in wetlands areas but now the majority of them congregate in rubbish dumps Photograph: STR/EPA

Chadds Ford, US: Frost is seen on a window of the Brandywine River Museum, northern Pennsylvania Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

Valletta, Malta: A dancer of the Jiangsu Art Group of China performs the Peacock Dance during the Chinese Spring Festival show at the Manoel Theatre Photograph: Darrin Zammit Lupi/REUTERS

A Guarda, Spain: Waves break along the shore of A Guarda, northwestern Spain. The Galician coast is on red alert as it experiences massive 8m waves, with other provinces of Spain on yellow alert for snow, cold, and rough seas Photograph: Miguel Riopa/AFP/Getty Images

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: A bird rests on a plant during the third round of the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship Photograph: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Xochimilco, Mexico: A dog is sprinkled with holy water by a priest during an animal blessing ceremony to commemorate the Feast of San Antonio Abad Photograph: Stringer/Mexico/Reuters

San Bartolome de los Pinares, Spain: A man rides his horse through flames during the annual Saint Anthony purification ceremony. The festival coincides every year with the eve of the religious festivity of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of animals. According to tradition, revellers ride their horses through bonfires placed around the village to purify the animals with fire and smoke after receiving a blessing from a priest Photograph: Susana Vera/Reuters

Australia: A bright red, undescribed species of shell-less coral, called an anthomastid or gorgons-head coral, as photographed at 1,700m, during a scientific voyage Into the Tasman Fracture, a four kilometre-deep crack in the earth's crust off the coast of Tasmania Photograph: CSIRO/HO/EPA

Hodenhagen, Germany: Two of nine baby lions born at the Serengeti wildlife park get a medical examination Photograph: Nigel Treblin/AFP/Getty Images

Stara Zagora, Bulgaria: Nine-month-old lion Stella in Stara Zagora's zoo. The zoo received the two lions as a gift from Bulgarian circus artists Photograph: Vassil Donev/EPA

Loch Morlich, Scotland: Siberian Huskies sit tethered during a day of preparation for the Arden Grange Aviemore 2009 Sled Dog Rally Photograph: David Moir/REUTERS

Northern Afghanistan: Vehicles crawl across snow-covered mountains. Heavy snowfalls and temperatures reaching -20°C have made life difficult for displaced persons and those living in remote villages Photograph: S. Sabawoon/EPA

Apopka, US: As the sun rises a warm glow shines onto ice covered branches. Shelters filled with the homeless and Floridians were reminded to protect their pets and plants as chilly weather set in across the state Photograph: Red Huber/AP

Georgia: An endangered right whale tangled in fishing gear. The whale was first spotted about 15 miles offshore from Brunswick by researchers who monitor North Atlantic right whales during the winter calving season. Wind and choppy seas frustrated efforts to free the whale on Friday as it swam from the Georgian coast into waters off Florida Photograph: Wildlife Trust/AP

Kolkata, India: The owner of a Shih Tzu takes part in a dog show Photograph: Jayanta Shaw/Reuters

Kaili, China: A woman looks at a chicken at an outdoor market in south-west Guizhou province. China is considered one of the nations most at risk from bird flu epidemics because of its its huge migratory bird populations. It has the world's biggest poultry population, with many chickens in rural areas kept close to humans Photograph: Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images

Birds look for food at the Seaton Meadows landfill site in Hartlepool as workers clear the rubbish Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA

Perkings Island, Tasmania: Some of the 50 whales beached offshore off Tasmania's north-west tip. More than 40 sperm whales died after the pod of about 50 became stranded Photograph: HO/AFP/Getty Images