Pangolins in Crisis: Brent Stirton, South Africa; 1st place, Natural world and wildlife. “Pangolins are the world’s most illegally trafficked mammals, with an estimated one million trafficked to Asia in the last 10 years. Their scales are used in traditional Chinese and Vietnamese medicine, and their meat is sold as a high-priced delicacy. As a result, pangolins are listed as critically endangered and anyone who trades or consumes them is breaking the law. This body of work exposes the trade, while exploring aspects of illegality and celebrating the people who are trying to save these animals”. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Sony World Photography Awards 2020)

A caretta caretta pup is seen at Cirali Beach as they in a process of hatching and meeting the sea in Kemer district of Antalya, Turkey on July 22, 2020. 6 caretta caretta pups came out of the nest opened by the officials met the sea in the early morning. (Photo by Mustafa Ciftci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

An array of colours dwarf visitors to the Rainbow Mountains in the Andes Cordillera in Peru in January 2023, which owes its colours to the minerals contained in the soil. The sulfur offers the yellow colour, iron oxide gives the red and copper sulfate is green. In total, it is made up of 14 different minerals. It was probably caused by weather and volcanic activity. (Photo by Guillaume Astruc/Naturagency/Solent News & Photo Agenc)

A woman walks past a giant Pac-Man in Tokyo's Shinjuku area, Wednesday, August 12, 2015. The three-meter (about nine feet and 10 inches)-tall Pac-Man and other video game characters, made of Lego bricks, were on display to promote the upcoming movie “Pixels”. (Photo by Ken Aragaki/AP Photo)

Indonesian mahouts clean their Sumatran elephant in a river near the zoo in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia, 12 December 2014. According media reports, the smallest of the Asian elephants, Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatrensis) is facing serious pressures arising from illegal logging and associated habitat loss and fragmentation in Indonesia. The population has come under increasing threat from rapid forest conversion to plantations. (Photo by Dedi Sahputra/EPA)

A model falls over on the runway in a design by Victoria Bliss during the Project NextGen show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Resort 18 Collections at Carriageworks on May 16, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images)

Sumo wrestlers compete during the “Honozumo” ceremonial sumo tournament at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo April 3, 2015. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)

In this undated photo provided by LittleFriendsPhoto.com via Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Kai, a 17-year-old male California sea lion at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Valejo, Calif. peers into the lens of photographer Seth Casteel, known for his “Underwater Dogs” photo series. ... (Photo by Seth Casteel/AP Photo/LittleFriendsPhoto.com via Six Flags Discovery Kingdom)