Among the fish populations that could be harmed by the Xayaburi dam in Laos is the critically endangered Mekong giant catfish, considered by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the world’s largest freshwater fish. The fish, which grows to 650 pounds and about 10 feet long, is only found in the Mekong River. It is migratory, moving between downstream habitats in Cambodia upstream to northern Thailand and Laos each year to spawn. Some experts fear the Xayaburi dam could block the migration and drive the giant catfish to extinction. (Photo by Courtesy of Zeb Hogan/University of Nevada, Reno)

A participant of the Delhi Queer Pride Parade poses for a photograph during the march in New Delhi, India, Sunday, November 26, 2023. This annual event comes as India's top court refused to legalize same-sеx marriages in an October ruling that disappointed campaigners for LGBTQ+ rights in the world's most populous country. (Photo by Shonal Ganguly/AP Photo)

Military policemen take part in an operation at Cidade de Deus favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on February 01, 2018. (Photo by Mauro Pimentel/AFP Photo)

Loreen from Sweden performs after winning the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, Britain on May 14, 2023. (Photo by Phil Noble/Reuters)

During Madrid's pride week, participants compete during the annual high heel race in Madrid, Spain, Thursday, July 29, 2023. Competitors must wear shoes with a heel of a minimum of 15 centimetres (5.9 inches). (Photo by Bernat Armangue/AP Photo)

“Bazooka”, a one year old stray cat, is treated at the SPCA (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) clinic in Tel Aviv, Israel, 06 January 2016. Bazooka arrived at the clinic in critical condition after he went through severe abuse with bruises all over his body and painted with pink oxidation. The Israeli street cat population is estimated to be about two million. Without enough financial support from the state, animal rights organizations find it difficult to keep the up with the pace when it comes to spaying and neutering feral cats, causing the population to grow. (Photo by Abir Sultan/EPA)

A competition, now in its 43rd year, dedicated to showcasing the beautiful and bizarre as seen under a light microscope attracted over 2,000 entries from 88 countries. Here: Honorable Mention by Emre Can Alagöz, Istanbul, Turkey: The eyes of a jumping spider, magnified 6x. (Photo by Emre Can Alagöz/2017 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition)

Sudan cheetah cub Assama inspects a camera bag in its enclosure at the Landau Zoo, in Landau, Germany, 03 September 2025. Assama, born in July as the only cub to a cheetah cat, was rejected by its mother, and is now being bottle-fed by its caretakers. (Photo by Ronald Wittek/EPA)