Simply the world's best 22 wildlife photos of 2024 (so far)

Simply the world's best 22 wildlife photos of 2024 (so far)

The best wildlife and natural world images from this year's World Nature Photography Competition.

Published: March 29, 2024 at 4:00 am

The prestigious World Nature Photography Awards have announced the stunning winners of this year's competition.

The overall winner was Tracey Lund from the UK for her dramatic image of two gannets fighting over a fish off the coast of the Shetland Islands. Other stand-out images include crabs clinging on for dear life as they cross a raging river, and zebras being hunted by cheetahs.

Here are our picks from this year's winners and runners-up.

Behaviour (Mammals) category winner – Those Last Few Seconds

Cheetah takes down a zebra running.
A coalition of four cheetahs hunt down and attack an unfortunate zebra foal as the mother tries in vain to protect it. Photographed at the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. Photo by Alex Brackx/World Nature Photography Awards

Animals in Their Habitat category winner – Livin' On The Edge

two deers with antlers fighting on cliff edge.
A pair of Nubian Ibex (Capra nubiana) clash on the precarious cliff edge in the Negev desert, Israel. Photo by Amit Eshel/World Nature Photography Awards

Behaviour (Amphibians and Reptiles) category winner – Head Massage

Small lizard sat on top of the head of a larger lizard.
A lava lizard (Microlophus albemarlensis) stands on the head of a marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). Photographed on the Galapagos Islands. Photo by John Seager/World Nature Photography Awards

Animal Portraits category third place – Bloody Himalayan Vulture

Vulture covered in blood.
A Himalayan griffon vulture (Gyps himalayensis) covered in blood after feeding. Photographed at Chopta, Uttarakhand, India. Photo by Partha Roy/World Nature Photography Awards

Behaviour (Invertebrates) category winner – Crabs

Orange crabs being pounded by big waves of water.
A group of Sally Lightfoot crabs (Grapsus grapsus) hold onto the lava-encrusted shoreline of Puerto Egas, Santiago Island, Galapagos, as fierce waves wash over them. Photo by Bill Klipp/World Nature Photography Awards

Planet Earth's Landscapes and Environments category second place – Perfect cloud

cloud over a glowing volcano.
A gigantic lenticular cloud surrounds the crater of the Villarrica volcano in Chile. Photo by Francisco Negroni/World Nature Photography Awards

Behaviour (Birds) category winner – Underwater Gannets

Gannets fighting over fish underwater.
A pair of gannets feed on a fish in this dramatic image taken off the coast of one of Shetland’s remotest headlands. Photographed at Shetland, United Kingdom. Photo by Tracey Lund/World Nature Photography Awards

Animals in Their Habitat category second place – Lynx Pounce

Lynx pouncing in the snow.
A Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) leaps through the snow. Photo by Thomas Vijayan/World Nature Photography Awards

Behaviour (Mammals) category third place – Reaching For The Top

One elephant reaching branches in the trees above.
Elephants reach for branches at Mana Pools, Zimbabwe. Photo by Lukas Walter/World Nature Photography Awards

Nature Photojournalism category winner – Dangerous Toy

a seal underwater with a bag in its mouth.
A sea lion pup swims with a plastic bag in its mouth in the waters around Coronado Islands, Baja California, Mexico. Photo by Celia Kujala/World Nature Photography Awards

Underwater category winner – Crowd Control

Orca whale swimming around school of fish.
A female orca (Orcinus orca) splits a herring bait ball in the water around Skjervøy, Norway. Photo by Andy Schmid/World Nature Photography Awards

Nature Art category second place – Aspen Trees

Many White trees with yellow leaves top and bottom.
A clearing of Aspen trees in Aspen, Colorado, USA. Photo by Robert Ross/World Nature Photography Awards

Behaviour (Invertebrates) third place – Cuckoo Wasp

Green wasp on twig red background.
A cuckoo wasp also called an emerald wasp (Chrysis angolensis) sitting on a branch in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Photo by Kevin Blackwell/World Nature Photography Awards
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Animal Portraits category winner – Anger Fish

very angry looking fish.
A black frogfish (Antennarius striatus) looks quite upset and angry in this image. Photographed at Kurnell, NSW, Australia. Photo by Nicolas Remy/World Nature Photography Awards

Urban Wildlife category second place – Among Bricks

A fox stood on top of pile of bricks.
A red fox (Vulpes vulpes) explores a pile of old bricks in this image taken in Lucerne, Switzerland. Photo by Roman Willi/World Nature Photography Awards

Behaviour (Amphibians and Reptiles) category second place – Father Calling

A male frog with cheeks puffed looks at eggs.
A male night frog (Nyctibatrachus) calls out in front of a clutch of eggs, in this image taken in Amboli, Maharashtra, India. Photo by Karthik Ak/World Nature Photography Awards

Nature Art category winner – Earth's Treasure

aerial image of river delta.
This aerial image shows blue watery veins, glacial braids and golden sediment in the amazing Icelandic landscape. Photo by Miki Spitzer/World Nature Photography Awards

Urban Wildlife category winner – Dragon's Nest

Small bird making nest in plastic toy.
A sunbird (Nectariniidae) has constructed its nest inside a half-broken dragon mobile hanging on the porch of a residential home in Beer Ora, southern Israel. Photo by Roy Wiesner/World Nature Photography Awards

Black and White category winner – Graceful Turn

Leopard turning around reflected in water.
The reflected image of a Leopard as it walks along the edge of a lake in East Rift Valley, Kenya. Photo by Richard Li/World Nature Photography Awards

People and Nature category winner – Catch of the Day

People fishing in pink water balancing on sticks.
Traditional stilt fishermen try their luck with the changing tide at sunset in Koggala, Sri Lanka. Traditional, artisanal fishing methods like these do not pose significant threats to the ocean’s natural resources. Photo by Ioannis Pavlos/World Nature Photography Awards

Planet Earth's Landscapes and Environments category winner – Difference

Mountains with snow surrounded by black landscape.
The dramatic landscape of the beach and Vestrahorn mountain in Stokksnes, Iceland. Photo by Ivan Pedretti/World Nature Photography Awards

Plants and Fungi category winner – Owl-like Plant

Green creature with horns and wings.
The parasitic plant known as Thismia thaithongiana pictured here is native to Thailand. This species was discovered in 2018. Photo by Chatree Lertsintanakorn/World Nature Photography Awards

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