The 25-strong shortlist for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award has been announced, highlighting stories of nature from across the globe.
The competition, now in its 58th year, attracted nearly 40,000 entries from photographers in 93 countries and aims to display the “shocking and beautiful moments that nature has to offer”, said Gizmodo.
Some photos in the shortlist “highlight the threats to wildlife”, added CNN, with Dutch photographer Auke-Florian Hiemstra shortlisted for his image showing a fish trapped in a discarded rubber glove, found in the canals of Leiden.
“The photo confronts us with our throw-away society,” Hiemstra told the broadcaster. “I would like to dedicate this photo to all our clean-up volunteers and litter pickers worldwide, who try to prevent the impact of plastic on our wildlife.”
The collection of images, chosen by the Natural History Museum, can be voted for by the public via interactive screens at the museum in London, or online. Voting will be open until 2 February 2023, and the winner and four runners-up will be announced on 9 February.
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Caribbean crèche by Claudio Contreras Koob
To get this snap Koob was lying down on the mud a safe distance from a breeding colony of Caribbean, or American, flamingos, in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico.
Covid litter by Auke-Florian Hiemstra
Since the onset of Covid-19, gloves and face masks have littered land and sea. This young perch fish was found by citizen scientists on a weekly canal clean-up in Leiden before being snapped by Hiemstra.
Hyena highway by Sam Rowley
On the outskirts of cities such as Harar in Ethiopia, Hyenas take advantage of what humans leave behind, including bones and rotting meat. In so doing, the hyenas keep disease at bay and can be spotted by remote cameras set up by photographers.
Holding on by Igor Altuna
Sometimes nature can be so cruel - here this leapordess had killed a kinda baboon in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park. In South Africa’s Kruger National Park, in the vicinity of a rest camp, Richard discovered a flock of crested guineafowlThe baboon’s baby was still alive and clinging to its mother.
That’s the spot! by Richard Flack
In South Africa’s Kruger National Park, in the vicinity of a rest camp, Flack discovered a flock of crested guineafowl that were helping each other out with an itch.
Coastline wolf by Bertie Gregory
While out in his dinghy looking for black bears, Gregory spotted this female grey wolf trotting along the shoreline on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Colombia, Canada. Sadly this wolf was later shot and killed by a man who claimed to be protecting other animals.
Snowshoe hare stare by Deena Sveinsson
Sveinsson caught this incredible snowshoe hare shot after a long day snowshoeing deep in the forests of the Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado.
The frog with the ruby eyes by Jaime Culebra
Only found in northwest Ecuador, in the Río Manduriacu Reserve in the foothills of the Andes, these Mindo glass frogs are endangered by habitat loss associated with mining and logging. The frogs are pretty tame when around humans, and if you don't disturb them, wildlife photographers can set up their equipment nearby to catch a perfect snap.
Fishing for glass eels by Eladio Fernandez
On the coast of the Dominican Republic, over five months, hundreds of fishermen gather around the estuaries from dawn to dusk to catch the glass eels and fulfil an insatiable Asian demand.
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