The Natural History Museum in London has provided a first look at a shortlist of highly commended entries for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest. The photographs are stunning, moving, interesting, and/or thought provoking.
Now in its the 60th year, the contest celebrates the beauty of the natural world and encourages viewers to appreciate and protect it. In this group of entries, photographers capture a variety of scenes, ranging from a squishy manatee baby looking like a floating sausage to a fierce and intense moment between two lions as they were mating.
The Natural History Museum in South Kensington will host a photography exhibition featuring winning photos from the 2024 contest from October 11, 2024 to June 29, 2025.
See a selection of the highly commended photos on the Wildlife Photographer of the Year shortlist below.
A tense moment between two mating lions
Two tawny owls nuzzle on a branch
A Pallas’s cat on the Mongolian Plateau
A jaguar delivers a skull-crushing bite to a caiman in The Pantanal in Brazil
A mother manatee and her calf in Florida
Two peahens in Keoladeo National Park, India
A stoat jumping high into the air above the snow
More fabulous photos? Take a look at the OGN Photography archives.