A Nepalese Hindu devotee dresses as a deity as he prepares to participate in festivities at the Shikali Temple during celebrations for the Shikali Jatra festival in the village of Khokana, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, on October 19, 2015. Local villagers, who normally do not celebrate the country's most famous festival of Dashain, celebrate the Shikali Jatra each year. (Photo by Prakash Mathema/AFP Photo)

Jean-François Leroy launched Visa Pour l’Image, the international photojournalism festival, in Perpignan in 1989. Before heading up the festival, Leroy was shooting reportage for the agency Sipa Press and also working for Photo-Reporter, Le Photographe, Photo-Revue and Photo Magazine. He is the chairman of the company Images Evidence. Photo: 2008 Visa d'or Feature: Brent Stirton. Conservation Rangers from an Anti-Poaching unit work with locals to evacuate the bodies of four Mountain Gorrillas killed in mysterious circumstances in the park, July 24, 2007, Virunga National Park, Eastern Congo. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Exclusive by Getty Images)

An adorable baby owl has proved to be a real heart-breaker thanks to its heart-shaped head. Although Griffin the Lesser Sooty Owl might look like a feather duster, the tiny eight-week old chick will soon be ready to fly. And the heart outline that surrounds his giant eyes and beak means he is set to be the star of the bird show at Taronga Zoo, Sydney. (Photo by Caters News Agency)

A participant of the “Mrs Universe 2015” contest from Caribbean Coast, Mayra Joli poses for a photo with a woman during their visit in central botanical garden in Minsk, Belarus, August 25, 2015. (Photo by Vasily Fedosenko/Reuters)

A Malaysian Royal Guard wears a protective mask while he stands guard outside National Palace, following the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, February 10, 2020. (Photo by Lim Huey Teng/Reuters)

Guardian of the Mangroves – Overall Winner. Tanya Houppermans, Cuba. A curious American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) swims right up to Tanya, at Gardens of the Queen (Jardines De La Reina), an archipelago off the coast of Cuba. It has been strictly protected since 1996, and is one of the most untouched marine ecosystems in the world. ‍ “The healthy population of American crocodiles is down to the pristine condition of the mangroves and I wanted to capture close ups of this gentle giant in its natural habitat. I hope this image can illustrate that protecting areas like this is so critical”. (Photo by Tanya Griffin Houppermans/Mangrove Photographer of the Year)

A Nepalese Hindu devotee takes a holy bath as they mark the Mother's Day Festival at Matathirtha on the outskirts of Kathmandu on May 6, 2016. Nepalese Hindu devotees come from across the country to bathe, offer prayers and leave offerings at the Matathirtha Temple during the event, which honours mothers who have passed away. (Photo by Prakash Mathema/AFP Photo)

A cow decorated with charms, colorful ropes and beads is seen as the local cattle breeders who prepared sash, loincloth and their local clothes known as “bush vest” before coming to plateau, their animals in Trabzon, Turkiye on September 24, 2023. (Photo by Hakan Burak Altunoz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)