Super Cute Animal Photos

 

Super-cute animal photos that are guaranteed to make you go 'awwww': Sleepy puppies, kissing piglets and a baby sugar glider all star in these stunning pictures taken by a former policewoman

• Wildlife photographer Alex Cearns took the photographs over the past eight years
• The 40-year-old gave up her job as a police woman in Western Australia in 2006 after 14 years of service
• She now dedicates her life to photographing and helping abused animals 

Anyone who has ever tried to take a photo of their pet knows how difficult it can be to get them to comply.

Wildlife photographer Alex Cearns has dedicated her life for the past eight years to taking the perfect shots of animals and the results are stunning.

The former police woman from Perth has unveiled possibly the cutest animal pictures in the world, including one of an oprhaned sugar glider who holds up its tiny claw to a human's hand.

She says her days are now filled with 'high-fives from dogs and cuddling kittens' instead of chasing criminals.

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Helping hand: A tiny sugar glider reaches up to touch a human's hand as it stars in the 40-year-old's heart-melting project

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Pretty in pink: Two piglets appear to be kissing as they nuzzle their noses together in the photograph shot by Alex Cearns

A sleeping litter of cuddly puppies, a posing black and white lamb and two kissing pink piglets star in the 40-year-old's heart-melting project.

Ms Cearns, who used to spend her time on the beat tackling crime in West Australia, now gets to while away her hours with the most adorable species on the planet.

 

'I like to say now people are pleased to see me,' she joked.

She's put a collection of her perfectly-timed snaps together - taken from the thousands of photos she has shot so far - in her new book Mother Knows Best – Life Lessons From The Animal World.

Puppy dog eyes: This little bruiser is reaching out to the camera as he stars in the animal photography book Mother Knows Best - Life Lessons From The Animal World

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It's a hard life: Five brown and white sleeping puppies appear to be taking a snooze in the award-winning wildlife photographer's snap

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Too cute: Could you refuse this pooch anything? A grey and white pup (left) looks lovingly at the camera. And a grey little bunny clasps his paws together, its pointy ears pricked up  (right).

Split-second photography technology helped her capture the images super fast.

'The bit that takes the longest is getting the animal relaxed and in the right pose,' she told MailOnline on Saturday.

Explaining how she gets the animals in the mood to pose for the camera, she said: 'A lot of it is do with my own body energy. After years I know when to look them in the eye and not appear threatening.

'Most are agreeable but the ones that have been abused can be harder.'

She also uses toys and treats to soften them up.

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Ducks in a row: Four yellow ducklings sit side by side in size order, with the smallest looking particularly cute

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Open wide: A bird (left) squawks for the camera while Jolly the piglet (right), who was rescued and rehomed, shows off the banana she's eating

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Hand raised: Bailey the pink galah parrot is pictured having a big stretch. He was just seven weeks old when the photo was taken

The award-winning Australian photographer has captured the special relationship between many mother and baby animals over the years.

There are fluffy bunnies and ducklings that you want to reach out and stroke and inquisitive white kittens with piercing green eyes.

Plus all different breeds of puppies with doe-eyed expressions. A couple of them reach out their paws to the camera as if they want to make friends.  

It's almost impossible for anyone to choose a favourite from the beautiful photos, but Ms Cearns says fragile pooch little Barli Pip, who was found on the streets of Bali aged 8-10 weeks old with mange, really pulls at her heart-strings.

'I love all of them for different reasons but Bali Pip resonates with me...

'We sold the photo in a charity fundraiser and raised over $15,000 from copies of her photo alone in just three hours.'

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Meow: Three inquisitive white kittens with piercing green eyes respond to Ms Cearns' call

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All together now: Five puppies, who were rehomed after they were born to a mother already in foster care, look thick as thieves

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Striking a pose: A lamb with a black head and sock on its back foot (left) appears to model for the camera and a cuddly black and white pup (right) lays down for its photo 

When Ms Cearns posted the striking photo on Facebook it was viewed by more than 1.5 million people.

The delicate little dog went on to grow her hair back and was rehomed.  

Ms Cearns' dramatic change from copper to wildlife photographer and animal rights advocate came in 2006, when she left the force after 14-years of service. 

She wanted a complete life change and had developed a lifelong love of animals during her early formative years in outback South Australia where her father was a shearer and wool valuer.

A trip to Tasmania with a friend with an SLR camera gave her the inspiration she was looking for. 

'I was 19 when I joined the police and over the next 14 years I was exposed to the darkest side of humanity. But policing prepared me for the sights I see working with animal charities – the abuses and atrocities left to the rescue groups. 

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Tiny: A miniscule sandy coloured pup stares straight at the lens in this striking photo

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Sad eyes: A caramel and white dog looks longingly into the lens (left) and a glossy black puppy chews on a yellow tennis ball and holds onto it protectively (right)

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Give me five: A stunning black dog holds up his paw, as if in a sign of friendship, to the camera

'I left the WA Police not wanting to know what people did to each other anymore, but my sense of justice shifted into concern for vulnerable creatures and drives me to create change through my photography,' she told the Herald Sun in March.

Many of the animals captured in the photos are sadly survivors of abuse.

The pig eating a banana, named Jolly, was rescued and went on to live in a rescue farm, as did the other two kissing pigs.

And the Jack Russell dog laying down was found by rangers wondering the streets when it was not quite one year old.

'He is one of the smartest dogs I've ever met,' she said.

Favourite: Ms Cearns says fragile pooch, little Barley Pip, who was found on the streets of Bali aged 8-10 weeks old with mange, really pulls at her heart-strings

The five puppies, pictured with a white background, were born in foster care so were also forced to be rehomed. 

And the pink galah parrot, pictured having a big stretch aged seven weeks, was hand raised.

Ms Cearns doesn't just focus on domestic animals, she will also be coming to Sydney's Taronga Zoo on June 3 to bring the plight of Asia's Bears into focus.

She is working with charity Free The Bears and will host an Animal Photography Master Class and speak about her photography and philanthropic pursuits in a lecture at the zoo.

Free The Bears raises funds for projects supporting bear conservation and rescue. Ms Cearns will also be heading to Laos to photograph bears in a horrific bile farm and at the Free The Bears sanctuary, on her mission to raise funds and awareness.