Aerial view of pond cypress at Qinglongwan Forest Park near Ningguo, China on November 26, 2017. (Photo by Imaginechina/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

A veterinarian from the zoo of Besancon feeds “Soa”, a female crowned sifaka, in Besancon, eastern France, on February 18, 2019. The crowned sifaka is a critically endangered species from Madagascar. There were only 6 females over 20 individuals living in 7 zoos worldwide end of 2018. (Photo by Sébastien Bozon/AFP Photo)

Raccoon Fritzi eats at the home of veterinarian Mathilde Laininger in Berlin, Germany, January 27, 2022. She cares for four raccoons that can no longer be released into the wild. Raccoon Fritzi has an Instagram account with ten thousand followers. (Photo by Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters)

A lizard is seen hunting for fish during the daytime on May 04, 2017 in West Sumatra, Indonesia. (Photo by Riau Images/Barcroft Images)

A little red flying fox dips a toe in a lake at the mouth of Katherine gorge in the Northern Territory, Nitmiluk national park, Australia on September 20, 2017. (Photo by Glenn Campbell/AAP)

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)

This hazel dormouse is being given a once-over by a disease risk team at ZSL London Zoo, UK in May 2025, as part of reintroduction programme. (Photo by David Levene/The Guardian)

Opossums on their mothers back at a game reserve in Central Minnesota, USA, on September 2, 2013. (Photo by Caters News Agency)