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)

An elephant decorated with a cloth walk in the annual Nawam Perahera street parade in Colombo February 22, 2016. Over 50 elephants are participating in a street parade for Gangaramaya temple's annual Perahera festival, along with a nightly procession of traditional dancers, fire twirlers and traditional musicians. (Photo by Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters)

Wizz Air's Airbus A-321 flying along the Danibe river during an air show in Budapest, Hungary, May 1, 2016. (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Reuters)

Model Ming Xi falls as she presents a creation during the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai, China, November 20, 2017. (Photo by David Fisher/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Participants take part in the Mud Day race, a 13km obstacle course, on March 24, 2017 in the Israeli Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv. (Photo by Jack Guez/AFP Photo)

Portuguese runner Adriele Silva gestures during the Great Wall Marathon at the Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall of China, in Jixian of Tianjin, China May 19, 2018. (Photo by Jason Lee/Reuters)

An Embraer E-190 E2 aircraft featuring a spray painted tiger's face on the nose of the aircraft is displayed during a media preview of the Singapore Airshow February 4, 2018. (Photo by Edgar Su/Reuters)

Fish-eye lens with a twist: the Norwegian photographer Brutus Ostling uses bait to lure a herring gull for a close-up in September 2022. (Photo by Brutus Ostling/Solent News)