The week in wildlife

Leipzig, Germany: A 10-day-old great grey owl opens its beak to be fed by keepers at a zoo. In the past two years, its parents have been throwing their eggs out of the nest so zoo keepers intervened and the eggs were secured early to be bred in an incubator Photograph: Waltraud Grubitzsch/EPA

Minsk, Belarus: A dog walks past dancers during an official ceremony in Oktiabrskaya square Photograph: Viktor Drachev/AFP

Eberswalde, Germany: A black crowned crane at the zoo. The bird is common in the west African savannah and the Sahel zone Photograph: Patrick Pleul/EPA

Beichuan, China: A pig is seen amidst the debris of a collapsed building in the earthquake-hit Sichuan province Photograph: STR/Reuters

Ahmedabad, India: A hippopotamus is provided with shade from a canvas and is hosed down with cold water Photograph: STR/EPA

Sacedón, Spain: A dry tree branch lies on the cracked earth of the drought-stricken Entrepeñas reservoir. Spain is in the grip of a drought so severe it has forced Barcelona to ship in water Photograph: Susana Vera/Reuters

Müllrose, Germany: Fine drops of water are seen on dandelions during sunrise Photograph: Patrick Pleul/EPA

Baghdad, Iraq: A kitten rests near an Iraqi soldier outside a farm house while US soldiers from the 3rd Battalion question its owner about suspected activities in the area Photograph: Mauricio Lima/AFP

Chonburi, Thailand: A crocodile hatches during a crocodile-hatching festival at Sriracha tiger zoo Photograph: Sukree Sukplang/Reuters

Ayacucho, Argentina: An Argentine gaucho rides a horse during a national festival. Every year hundreds of gauchos of all kinds gather to show their skills in rodeo, parades, and folklore music Photograph: Pablo Aneli/AP

Trevelin, Argentina: A bird sits on a high-tension telegraph wire Photograph: Ferran Majoll/AP

Walsrode, Germany: The big eyes of a young Verreaux's eagle-owl (also known as the milky eagle-owl) at a breeding station. Just under five weeks after hatching, the typical strong eyelids of the eagle-owl are present Photograph: Holger Hollemann/EPA

Celle, Germany: A dog plays in a fountain on a sunny day Photograph: Christian Charisus/Reuters

Amritsar, India: An Indian farmer looks after the sunflowers in a field. Sunflowers are one of the important crops in India's oilseed industry and has contributed to rapid growth in production during past 20 years Photograph: Raminder Pal Singh/EPA

Beichuan, China: An elderly man and his dog stand outside a collapsed building following the earthquake Photograph: China Daily/Reuters

Futaleufu, Chile: A wild flower sticks out from the deep layer of ash in a field near the Chaiten volcano. Several towns in Chile were evacuated before and after the volcano blasted out ash and lava, after a 300-year slumber Photograph: Francesco Degasperi/AFP

Massachusetts, US: A male Northern Cardinal calls as it sits on a tree branch in a backyard. The Cardinal, which is the official state bird of seven US states, is known to aggressively defend its territory, which can range from 2 to 10 acres, even attacking red objects and reflections of itself Photograph: Matt Campbell/EPA