A member of the Grupa Magnifica acrobatics club poses for a photo on the Baltic Sea beach during sunset in the town of Leba, Pomeranian region, on August 6, 2024. (Photo by Sergei Gapon/AFP Photo)
A woman holds a hedgehog at the Harry hedgehog cafe in Tokyo, Japan, April 5, 2016. In a new animal-themed cafe, 20 to 30 hedgehogs of different breeds scrabble and snooze in glass tanks in Tokyo's Roppongi entertainment district. Customers have been queuing to play with the prickly mammals, which have long been sold in Japan as pets. The cafe's name Harry alludes to the Japanese word for hedgehog, harinezumi. (Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters)
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) has announced the winning images in its annual photography competition. The 2020 winners show the important work of zoos and aquariums at an immensely challenging time. After months of closures, these conservation organisations are reeling from the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Here: Runner-up, Heart and Minds: Nifty nose, by Samantha Allworthy at Longleat. Species: prehensile tailed porcupines. (Photo by Samantha Allworthy/BIAZA 2020 Photography Competition)
Postal worker Eddie Smith, dressed as Santa Claus, waves to a neighbor on his mail route in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2021. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
Valarie Allman of Team United States competes in the Women's Discus qualification on day four of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Pawel Kopczynski/Reuters)
American rapper Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus, known professionally as Cardi B in the second decade of April 2023 tells fans she smells like “coconuts and pineapple” while showing off a wild outfit. (Photo by iamcardib/Instagram)
Democratic Congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez poses with a campaign worker during a whistle stop in Queens, New York, November 5, 2018. (Photo by Andrew Kelly/Reuters)