Sheep stand on a dyke as clouds cover the sky over Tossens, northern Germany, on September 2, 2019. (Photo by Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/dpa/AFP Photo)

A hare runs on a small road as the sun rises in Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, June 12, 2023. (Photo by Michael Probst/AP Photo)

A combination of high tide and strong winds in the coastal city of Saint-Malo, France, resulted in waves as high as apartment blocks on Friday, March 24, 2023. Waves 50 foot (15,24 m) high flooded the streets as they breached sea walls. (Photo by Mathieu Rivrin/Solent News & Photo Agency)

Sea lions make dinner plans in the Gulf of California early July 2024. The gulf is a primary source of sardines and anchovies, two of Mexico’s top marine resources. (Photo by Glenn Ostle/Solent News)

A cyclist rides past a tumulus tomb in Gyeongju, South Korea on November 1, 2025. (Photo by Anthony Wallace/AFP Photo)

England goalkeeper Mary Earps saves a penalty from Jennifer Hermoso of Spain during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Final match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia on August 20, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

This handout picture taken on December 13, 2016 and released on December 14, 2016 by the Tiergarten Schoenbrunn zoo in Vienna, Austria, shows a baby sloth eating some salad as it hangs on it's mother's belly in their enclosure. The baby was born already on November 18, 2016, but according to the zoo it could be picured for the first time only now as it usually hides in it's mother's soft coat. (Photo by Daniel Zupanc/AFP Photo)

The National Geographic Photo Ark is a travelling exhibition of photographer Joel Sartore’s quest to create a photo archive of biodiversity around the world. So far, Sartore has captured studio portraits of more than 6,000 species – a number that he hopes to double. On 1 July, the ark will open at Melbourne zoo – the first time it has been exhibited in the southern hemisphere. More than 50 portraits will be on display, including many of Australian endangered animals being protected by programs at the zoo itself. These captions have been edited from text supplied by Melbourne zoo. Here: Barking owl. (Photo by Joel Sartore/National Geographic Photo Ark/The Guardian)