From a baby gorilla snapped as it looks through a camera lens to a fish-eating crocodile as it glides across the water, these are some of the dramatic images judged to best depict the essence of the animal world.
The striking photographs are a just a selection taken from the entries of the Zoological Society of London's Animal Photography Prize, which will be on display in an exhibition from today.
Photographers were asked to capture the glory of the animal kingdom in return for a cash prize and to see their work displayed at London Zoo.
The exhibition includes manatees emerging from the dark water of a Floridian river and a stunning shot of a baby gorilla called Chickaboo, titled 'Money Snapper', looking through the lens of a camera.
Chickaboo was saved by Ape Action Africa, a UK charity who run a sanctuary in Cameroon.
Daily Mail photographer Lucy Ray captured the scene while she was in the country filming a life-saving operation on a gorilla with a gunshot wound.
Other images that will be on display at the Zoo include an African elephant on the Busanga Plains in Zambia, a crab spider and a close-up of an Amur Leopard bearing its teeth.
One photograph captures a Madagascan giant leaf-tailed gecko showing off its incredible camouflage skill.
The competition, the first of its kind run by the society, launched in April in a bid to inspire amateur and professional photographers to get out and capture the wonders of the natural world.
Photographer Robert Heischman, who captured the winning shot of the reflective gharial in the adult’s Weird and Wonderful category said: 'Photographing reflections effectively requires a bunch of factors to come together.
'You need intense light, still water, a low camera angle, and an interesting subject to make it work.
'I love gharials for how sharp and angular they are, so when I saw this individual holding his head at such a steep angle, I knew I had an interesting shot on my hands.
'ZSL London Zoo stands out to me for the quality and design of its exhibits, as well as the extensive efforts ZSL has put into conservation projects across the world. However small my contribution, I am honoured to help promote ZSL’s cause through my photography'.
ZSL’s event manager Sarah Barron added: 'ZSL’s project manager for the exhibition Sarah Barron added: 'We’ve been blown away by the calibre of the images submitted for the ZSL Animal Photography Prize.
'These photographers have managed to capture some truly amazing shots which will challenge peoples’ perception of the animal kingdom.
'The exhibition at ZSL London Zoo will not only be a fantastic visual experience for visitors, but will help us to share our passion for and inspire people about the world’s wildlife.'
Adult and junior photographers submitted entries for the competition’s seven categories including The Human Animal and Birds and the Bees, to be in with the chance of winning part of the £10,000 prize fund.
The competition was open to all, with free entry for children and £5 for adults to enter up to seven categories and individual prizes range from £250 to £2,000.
source: dailymail
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