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)

A women sits on the south rim of Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona, April 12, 2015. (Photo by Jim Urquhart/Reuters)

A man rides a golden motorbike on a street in Bangkok, Thailand on August 14, 2020. (Photo by Jorge Silva/Reuters)

Creative imagery bronze winner. Make-up by Chengbo Sun, China. (Photo by BPOTY/Cover Images)

British singer Rita Ora ready to record in the studio in North West London, United Kingdom on October 13, 2020. (Photo by Click News and Media)

An employee dressed in a Santa Claus costume plays with cats at the Catgarden in Seoul, South Korea, December 14, 2020. (Photo by Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

A woman wears a Yao bridal headdress in Hezhou, Guangxi, China on January 6, 2021. (Photo by Sipa Asia/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A woman walks past a mural amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manchester, Britain, January 4, 2021. (Photo by Phil Noble/Reuters)