This competition, organized by the World Photography Organisation with the support of Sony, is being held for the 19th time and is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the world of photography.
This year, over 430,000 entries were submitted by participants from more than 200 countries and regions.
The winner in the "Nature and Wildlife" category was Klaus Hellmich.
Photo by Klaus Hellmich. Arctic fox in a snowstorm
The image features a blue Arctic fox captured in a snowstorm on the Varanger Peninsula, Norway.
Additionally, ten other works made it to the shortlist.
The image of a deer was taken in Charlecote, Warwickshire, United Kingdom.
The Japanese brown frog, which inhabits the mountains until November, then descends into local rivers for hibernation. Males, seeking to mate, cling to anything that floats by, including yamame trout.
To capture this moment, the photographer needed over 40 hours and 4,000 shots.
Weddell seals, living in one of the harshest habitats on Earth, have a thick layer of fat and fur that serves as insulation and a food reserve. These mammals rest on ice floes before hunting in the icy waters of Antarctica.
In the Bulgarian mountains, a confrontation occurred between a vulture and a jackal.
Chile's Torres del Paine National Park is famous for its picturesque landscapes and is home to pumas—predators that primarily hunt guanacos. The photographer observed a female with two cubs for several days before capturing the moment of the hunt.
The photographer carefully waited for the African buffalo to reflect in the dark water, creating a glowing effect that highlighted the curve of its horns. A long exposure captured a bat that appeared as a ghostly shape in flight.
At dawn, the newly crowned "king of the milu" stands tall among a resting herd of females, roaring majestically. The rising sun emphasizes his silhouette, as if crowning his wild virtues.
Young elephant seal pups, "weaned from their mothers," gather at natural stone pools in the Falkland Islands, practicing swimming and diving before heading out to open sea.
After a morning of play, the mother Pallas's cat returned with prey. The fastest of the kittens managed to catch a rodent. This shot captures the individuality of the little one beginning to show through its bright and mischievous eyes.
