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)

A villager run as Mount Sinabung erupt at Sigarang-Garang village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province, February 1, 2014. Four people died and more than 28, 000 villagers have been evacuated since authorities raised the alert status for the volcano to the highest level in November 2013, local media reported on Saturday. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)

A woman tries to hold an umbrella amidst gusty winds as Cyclone Michaug is expected to make landfall on the eastern Indian coast, at Foreshore Estate Beach, in Chennai, India, 03 December 2023. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for heavy rains in Chennai as the cyclonic storm, “Cyclone Michaung” is anticipated to make landfall between Andhra Pradesh's Nellore and Machilipatnam on December 05. (Photo by Idrees Mohammed/EPA/EFE)

An anti-lockdown activist dressed as Father Christmas is arrested in Grosvenor Square during a demonstration in London, England, on November 28, 2020. London is to return to “Tier 2” or “high alert” covid-19 restrictions once the current England-wide coronavirus lockdown ends next Wednesday. All three of the tiers, assigned to local authorities across England, have been strengthened since the lockdown began on November 5, however, with the main impacts to be felt by the hospitality sector. (Photo by Mark Thomas/i-Images)

Childrens play in the waterlogged streets following heavy rain in Bangalore, India, 21 October 2024. India Meteorological Department (IMD), weather department issued an orange alert amid intermittent rain. Due to heavy rains in Bangalore, schools are shut down today, and private offices have asked their employees to work from home, and several trees are uprooted. This comes owing to a well-marked low-pressure area over central parts of the south Bay of Bengal. (Photo by Jagadeesh N.V./EPA)

A local wears a plastic water bottle with a cutout to cover her face, as she walks on a footbridge in Hong Kong on January 31, 2020, as a preventative measure following a virus outbreak which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The World Health Organization, which initially downplayed the severity of a disease that has now killed 170 nationwide, warned all governments to be “on alert” as it weighed whether to declare a global health emergency. (Photo by Anthony Wallace/AFP Photo)

Heidi Klum (not pictured) was greeted by half-naked models arriving at Myer Melbourne on January 27, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. The supermodel continued her tour of the country promoting her new season of lingerie for Heidi Klum intimates, a brand which she took over from Elle Macpherson in 2014. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Women walk through the snow on Wimbledon common with their dogs on February 10, 2012 in London, England. The Met Office cold weather alert remains at Level 3 as southern parts of England continue to suffer from cold weather and freezing conditions, with further snowfall overnight. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)