Delving into the heart of an active volcano to the real life 'Hulk', these are the world's most quirkiest and unbelievable images from around the world this year from Barcroft Media.
A cowardly lion climbing a tree to escape a herd of buffalo, death defying supercells and the world's biggest pit bull are just some of the incredible images that feature in the end of year 2015 round-up.
With photography that truly captures the amazing side of life, Barcroft Media have managed to shoot some of the most jaw-dropping human interest stories this year, as well as some incredible nature shots from Mount Etna erupting as lightning strikes to a dancer managing to limbo under an SUV
The selection also features mind-blowing animal interactions, including an elephant that found itself in deep water after being attack by crocodile and a moving portrait of an armed guard protecting the world's only remaining male northern white rhino.
Barcroft's pictures of the year
(01 of28)
A view of a volcanic eruption at Mount Etna's Vorgaine crater on December 03, 2015 in Sicily, Italy. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Marco Restivo / Barcroft Media)
(02 of28)
Zuly Sanguino has no legs and just tiny stumps for arms because of a rare genetic condition. She endured horrific bullying at school over her disability, which led her to the brink of suicide. But incredibly the pretty 25-year-old has overcome all her obstacles and not only lives a normal life with minimal nursing care, but earns a living as an inspirational speaker, helping thousands of other disadvantaged people. Zuly, from Bogota, Colombia, has managed to bounce back despite her father committing suicide when she was two and after suffering years of sexual abuse from the age of eight. She now takes her message of triumph against all odds to prisons, schools and businesses around her homeland but has dreams of taking her story worldwide. Zuly, who was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, also hopes to find a husband, following two failed romances, and start a family. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Carlos Angel / Barcroft USA)
(03 of28)
A WORLD record holding limbo queen thinks she has become the first person to shimmy under a car. Shemika Charles amazed herself and onlookers when she bent over backwards to get underneath the SUV earlier this week. The supple 22-year-old entered the record books in 2010 when she limboed down to an incredible eight and a half inches ? the height of a beer bottle. She trains for up to four hours a day to keep her body in peak condition and now travels around America performing with her family. However, regular performances put an incredible strain on her body and she sees a chiropractor once a week to have her hips realigned. Her mother was also a successful limbo dancer in her home country of Trinidad and Tobago but had to give up due to injury. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Ruaridh Connellan / Barcroft USA)
(04 of28)
THE KING of the Jungle was left with his tail between his legs after escaping a herd of angry buffalo ? by climbing a TREE. The rare pictures, captured in the Maasai Mara in March, show the cowardly lion fleeing danger with a terrified look on his hairy face. But despite retreating to the unusual safety zone the danger was not yet over as the bovines ? prone to trampling ? gathered under the tree to wait for the lion to fall. Charles Comyn, a 63-year-old ex-Army official, was exploring the stunning reserve in Kenya with his wife. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Charles Comyn / Barcroft Media)
(05 of28)
A 38-YEAR-OLD Indian man has taken to performing an extreme stunt of inserting needles into his face in a bid to enter record books. Bhupen Chandra Das, nicknamed as India's needle man, claims to hold a record for inserting as many as 550 surgical needles into his face. Das hails from north-eastern part of India and has been doing lethal stunts for the last 15 years. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Manash Gogoi / Barcroft India)
(06 of28)
A SURGERY loving model has had SIX RIBS removed - to look like a CARTOON character. Former electrician Pixee Fox, from North Carolina, USA, had already spent more than £70,000 on plastic surgery attempting to sculpt the perfect hourglass figure. But now she has taken her obsession even further by having her lower ribs removed - so she can shrink her waist to a record-breaking 14 inches. The 25-year-old, who is originally from Sweden, says she was inspired by animated characters like Jessica Rabbit, Aurora from Sleeping Beauty and Holli Would from Cool World. The extreme five-hour keyhole surgery operation cost £6,000 and was performed by plastic surgeon Dr Barry Eppley in Indianapolis, Indiana in October. The operation, which is irreversible, is usually performed for medical reasons but can be used for cosmetic purposes after extensive consultation. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Ruaridh Connellan / Barcroft USA)
(07 of28)
Awe-inspiring skyscapes show extreme weather ripping through tornado alley and surrounding US states. Menacing-looking supercells and sky-shattering lightning dominate the images, which were captured by Slovenian adrenaline junkie Marko Korosec. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Marko Korosec / Barcroft Media)
(08 of28)
Statuesque model Lauren Williams is making high strides - as the woman with the longest legs in America measuring a whopping 49 inches. The 25-year-old Texan has been dwarfing the competition since launching her modelling career four years ago. The statuesque 6ft4 blonde honed her shapely pins as a championship volleyball player while in college. But now Lauren - who wears a size 11 shoe - is turning heads as a swimwear model. (credit: PHOTOGRAPH BY Ruaridh Connellan / Barcroft USA)
(09 of28)
AN INTREPID adventurer stands on the precipice of the most active lava lakes in the world. This incredible footage was shot by filmmaker Sam Cossman and shows his harrowing journey into the Marum crater, which is one of only seven lava lakes on the planet, located on the remote island of Ambrym, in the Republic of Vanuatu. In 2014 the 33-year-old left his home in San Francisco to fulfil his dream as a digital storyteller and tech-explorer. Sam and his team used high tech drones, virtual reality cameras, and biometric wearable sensors to learn more about the geology of such an extreme environment. The project was funded by iPhone accessory company, Kenu.com, and had a crew of experts including volcanic explorer Brad Ambrose, award winning videographer Conor Toumarkine, Drone Pilot Simon Jardine and Phd Astrobilogist Dr. Jeff Marlow. The team created the first ever 3D scale model of a volcano and lava lake. They used drone mounted camera and photogrammetry software courtesy of Pix4d, which enabled the team to take precise measurements. Sam also utilised Sensum Biometric Sensors's wearable tech which uses lie detector technology to give a more accurate understanding of the physiological effects of the extreme environment on the body. NASA's SHERLOC instrument was crucial in helping the team investigate how microbial life can survive and form life in such an extreme location. The instrument was also used in NASA's Mars Mission Project. Other sponsors include Newtex who developed the specialised industrial proximity heat suit which allowed Sam to get within 10 metres of the burning hot lava. AltSpace virtual reality helped digitise the volcano into a true to scale virtual environment. Wearable World is an incubator for the Internet of Things (IoT) and connected Sam with lab company, Sensum ? who equipped him with a wearable product helped visualize the physiological and emotional response to the descent. For more information about Kenu's products and Sam's expedition please visit: http://www.kenu.com/ (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Conor Toumarkine / Barcroft Media)
(10 of28)
A 15-YEAR-OLD Indian schoolboy has left friends and family astonished by his hyper-flexibility - earning himself the nickname 'Rubber Boy'. Hailing from Punjab in the north of India, Jaspreet Singh Kalra's signature moves include bending his legs so far backwards that they rest on his shoulders and rotating his head 180 degrees so he is facing backwards - like Meryl Streep's character in the Goldie Hawn film 'Death Becomes Her'. Jaspreet says he feels no pain when holding such poses and now has his sights set on emulating and even surpassing the feats of his hero, American-based contortionist Daniel Browning Smith, who currently holds the title of the world's most flexible person. *PHOTOGRAPH BY Ajay Verma / Barcroft India
(11 of28)
im Kardashian lookalike Thalia Almodovar poses at her home in Queens on April 17, 2015 in New York City.WITH her hourglass figure and iconic sultry gaze curvy Thalia Almodovar is the double of Kim Kardashian. But amazingly transgender Thalia was actually born male and has spent thousands to emulate her famous double. Over the years Thalia has spent more than £70,000 on style and surgery and is mobbed by fans when she hits the streets of New York City. The 28-year-old has had a butt enhancement and breast implants to imitate Kim?s hourglass shape and spent more than £20,000 on outfits to match the star. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Ruaridh Connellan / Barcroft USA)
(12 of28)
EDA MARBURY spins round a pole with considerable ease ? despite her 260lb frame. The 25-year-old, from Missouri, USA, wows her friends and family with her athletic turns, defying gravity by hauling herself to the top before gracefully spinning down to the floor. Overweight Eda?s rise to the top is remarkable as she has only been dancing for two years ? and never did any form of exercise before. The young accountant coordinator has always had issues with her body and went a year without looking in the mirror. (credit: PHOTOGRAPH BY Michael Thomas / Barcroft Media)
(13 of28)
A CHEEKY frog enjoys life in the slow lane as he hitches a ride on the back of a snail's shell. The colourful amphibian was also spotted peering through a hole in a leaf - which served as a handy window as the frog eyed up potential meals. The blue-webbed flying tree frog was photographed in Jakarta, Indonesia, by amateur photographer Andri Priyadi. (credit:PHOTOGRAPHY BY Andri Priyadi / Barcroft Media)
(14 of28)
CALDAS NOVAS, GO, BRAZIL - APRIL 04: Romario dos Santos Alves, a bodybuilding enthusiast, at his home on April 04, 2015, in Caldas Novas, Goias, Brazil. Bodybuilder Romario Dos Santos Alves modeled himself on the Incredible Hulk and risked his life injecting oil into his arms. The 25-year-old turned to a cocktail of oil, painkillers and alcohol to pump up his biceps - with astounding results. Now the former bodyguard terrifies children with his super-sized muscles and is facing a catalogue serious health issues. The married dad-of-one says his experiences of using the synthetic substance cost him his sanity and nearly his life and he was even scheduled to have his arms amputated. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Pedro Ladeira / Barcroft USA)
(15 of28)
LLAIKIPIA COUNTY, KENYA, JUNE 25: Sudan, a Northern White Rhinoceros is protected by armed guards John Mugo and Daniel Maina at Ol Pejeta Conservancy on June 25, 2015 at Laikipia County, Kenya.THIS could be the last time we see a male northern white rhino. Sudan is the last of his kind, and at the age of 42 he doesn?t have much time left. After 35-years in captivity Sudan is living out his final years at Ol Pejeta conservancy in central Kenya's Laikipia, surrounded by a team of armed guards. With his back legs weakening and his sperm count lowering the chances of Sudan being able to mount a female and sire more offspring diminishes daily. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Georgina Goodwin/Barcroft Media)
(16 of28)
A POD of majestic sperm whales interact with tourists off the coast of a Caribbean island. Filmed near the shores of island country Dominica, this incredible footage was shot by US videographer Patrick Dykstra, 35, who has been photographing whales for over ten years. As well as filming the friendly mammals below the surface, Patrick managed to capture the magnificent creatures from above the water using a drone. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Picture Adventure Expeditions / Barcroft Media)
(17 of28)
Kaya Sesser was born without legs but it hasn?t stopped her becoming a successful model and sports personality. Kanya, 22, was abandoned by her parents in Thailand and placed into the care of Buddhist monks when she was just a few weeks old. After being taken care of by her grandparents and a hospital in Bangkok she was adopted by Jane and David Sesser from Oregan in the United States when she was five-years-old. From an early age she learned to use her hands as feet and by the age of nine she was an accomplished surfer and skateboarder. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Patrick Fallon / Barcroft USA)
(18 of28)
Hungry male lions wrestle a kudu to the ground before killing it in front of stunned motorists. The two big cats were pacing a tarmac road through South Africa?s Kruger National Park, when their hapless prey emerged from the bushes. Drivers on the busy route stopped to watch the brutal killing, as the kudu slipped on the surface and one of the lions pounced on his back. The second huge lion then went straight for the animal?s throat, resulting in its quick death. 23-year-old Carolyn Dunford, from Romsey in the UK, took the incredible photos while working as a wildlife researcher in South Africa. The huge lions made the kill on July 10. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Carolyn Dunford / Barcroft Media)
(19 of28)
ADRIANNE Lewis believes she has the world?s longest TONGUE measuring a whopping 4 inches. The 18-year-old is now globally recognised after a photo of her sticking her tongue out went viral online. Her serpent-like appendage can touch her nose, chin, elbow, and even her eye with a little help. And she is currently in talks with Guinness World Records and waiting to see if she?s the new record holder. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Bridgette Pacholka / Barcroft USA)
(20 of28)
(21 of28)
ILLUMINATING the night sky these stunning pictures show hundreds of lightning bolts in full force. Alexius van der Westhuizen, a 46-year-old real-estate agent, captured the dramatic thunderstorm over the skies of Johannesburg, South Africa. Each picture is a composition of dozens of images taken during three-hour sessions over the course of the summer. Lightning strikes are layered over each other to give the impression the sky is erupting with dozens of bolts at once. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Greatstock / Barcroft Media)
(22 of28)
A GENTLE giant so embarrassed by his height he hid at home for half his life has found love - with a woman THREE FEET smaller than him. Joelison Fernandes da Silva, 28, developed gigantism as a child and has since grown to a massive 7ft 8in. The shy Brazilian was forced to drop out of school due to bullying and refused to leave the family house for years. But following successful surgery to remove a benign tumour on his pituitary gland, his condition is now under control. And the real-life Goliath, from Paraiba, Brazil has now cemented his happiness - by marrying 5ft Evem Medeiros, 21. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Maria Andrade / Barcroft USA)
(23 of28)
CROC got your trunk! An elephant was caught in a snappy situation when a crocodile bit down on his TRUNK. The large mammal ambled down to the watering hole for a quick drink ? but was not expecting a bite. Ashley Lewis, a 31-year-old fitness marketer, snapped the incredible photo in the Sabi Sands game reserve in South Africa. The bull elephant had been bathing in the water with its family when the four-metre crocodile latched onto the animal?s trunk with its sharp jaws. Both animals survived the tussle, but the crocodile swam away with a bruised ego. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Greatstock / Barcroft Media)
(24 of28)
(25 of28)
A 15-YEAR-OLD Indian schoolboy has left friends and family astonished by his hyper-flexibility - earning himself the nickname 'Rubber Boy'. Hailing from Punjab in the north of India, Jaspreet Singh Kalra's signature moves include bending his legs so far backwards that they rest on his shoulders and rotating his head 180 degrees so he is facing backwards - like Meryl Streep's character in the Goldie Hawn film 'Death Becomes Her'. Jaspreet says he feels no pain when holding such poses and now has his sights set on emulating and even surpassing the feats of his hero, American-based contortionist Daniel Browning Smith, who currently holds the title of the world's most flexible person. * (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Ajay Verma / Barcroft India)
(26 of28)
A SMALL-armed amphibian is spotted practicing pull-ups on a tree branch. But the tree frog appeared to have some difficulty as he struggled to pull himself up ? and had to use his long legs to give his arms a well-earned rest. The bizarre sighting was seen by photographer Lessy Sebastian in his garden in Jakarta, Indonesia. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Lessy Sebastian / Barcroft Media)
(27 of28)
Basketball stars are known for their giant stature, but dwarf player Jahmani Swanson is showing that size isn?t everything on the court. The 4ft 5 ace is known as the ?Michael Jordan? of dwarf basketball and astounds crowds and opponents with his strength, speed and scoring record. The 29-year-old plays pro-league basketball with a court team in New York, and has no problem taking on players almost twice his size. (credit:PHOTOGRAPH BY Laurentiu Garofeanu / Barcroft USA)
(28 of28)
HUMAN statue Ashley Kurpiel suffers from a rare condition that turning her muscles to BONE. The illness, called Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva affects about 800 people worldwide. The incurable disease slowly turns muscles into solid bone - and has already cost Ashley her right arm. While the disease can leave sufferers completely immobilised, Ashley has vowed to live life to the fullest. (credit: PHOTOGRAPH BY Dre Barnes / Barcroft USA)