Polar bears prepare to feast on the remains of a bowhead whale, harvested legally by whalers during their annual subsistence hunt, just outside the Inupiat village of Kaktovik, Alaska, USA, 10 September 2017. As climate change shrinks their natural habitat, polar bears are turning Kaktovik into their very own sanctuary city. (Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/EFE)

Two helicopters are seen following a collision near Seaworld, on the Gold Coast, Australia, 02 January 2023. Four people are dead and another 13 injured after two helicopters collided before one crashed into the Broadwater on the Gold Coast. (Photo by Dave Hunt/EPA/EFE/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

The Christmas Train of Lights on November 27, 2024 on the Dartmouth Steam Railway in Devon, UK, which runs until 30th December 2024, is reflected in the calm water of the River Dart after leaving Kingswear on its return trip to Paignton. The carriages and steam locomotives on the festive service are lit inside and out with coloured lights. (Photo by Graham Hunt/BNPS)

Up to 35% of Mongolians still live a nomadic life, depending on their land to survive. But environmental changes, particularly desertification, means this way of life is under threat. Korean photographer Daesung Lee’s Futuristic Archaeology images show billboard-size backdrops of lush steppe contrasting with actual scenery as former nomads enact scenes of hunting, herding and Mongolian wrestling. (Photo by Daesung Lee)

This watering hole is the social hub of the veldt; the scrubby grasslands that stretch across Namibia. The scorched earth supports sometimes fragile populations of magnificent wildlife – from endangered predators to plentiful herds of game. But these gentle giraffes and elephants need to be careful: lions don’t sleep at night, they hunt! The spectacular starscape above southern Africa is unchanged since explorers first mapped the continent. The photographer, Pietro Olivetta from Italy, said he had to be patient to capture these shots – but it was worth the wait. (Photo by Pietro Olivetta/Caters News)

Is it a leaf? Is it tree bark? No, it’s the Satanic leaf-tailed gecko. Cleverly disguised as a rotting leaf, Madagascar’s camouflage king has red eyes, pointy horns and a taste for night hunting: it’s nature’s most devilish deceiver. The twisted body and veiny skin echo the detail of a dry leaf, which ensures the gecko blends in with its forest home. The mottled tail appears to have sections missing, as though it has withered over time. This mini-monster epitomises survival of the fittest, having adapted gradually to become today’s extraordinary leaf impersonator. (Photo by Thomas Marent/ARDEA)

From left, Brazilian model Adriana Lima, British model Lily Donaldson, Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio, US model Taylor Hill, and US model Martha Hunt acknowledge applause during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show inside the Grand Palais, in Paris, Wednesday, November 30, 2016. The pulse-quickening, celebrity-filled catwalk event of the year: the Victoria's Secret fashion show takes place in Paris with performances from Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. (Photo by Francois Mori/AP Photo)

Hideki Tokoro, president of whaling company Kyodo Senpaku, boards Japan's new whaling mothership, the Kangei Maru, following the ship's launch ceremony at a port in Shimonoseki city, Yamaguchi prefecture on May 21, 2024. The nearly 9,300-tonne ship set sail on its maiden hunting voyage on May 21, heralding a new era for the controversial practice defended by the government as an integral part of national culture. (Photo by Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP Photo)