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 woman photographs “Super Space Titan Kitty” by Colin Christian at the “Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty” museum exhibit in honor of Hello Kitty's 40th anniversary, at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, California October 10, 2014. (Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

In this July 25, 2015 photo, youth eat a cooked pig's head as they wait for the start of carnival in Santiago, Cuba. (Photo by Ramon Espinosa/AP Photo)

Retired Mongolian-born “yokozuna” wrestler Hakuho (far L), who now goes by the name Miyagino, watches as participants (R) try to push out Japanese wrestler Hakuoho (C) during a sumo class for youngsters on the sidelines of the 14th Hakuho Cup, a competition for young sumo wrestlers from elementary and middle school, at the Kokugikan arena in the Ryogoku area of Tokyo on February 12, 2024. (Photo by Richard A. Brooks/AFP Photo)

Members of the NYPD detain protesters from the pro-Palestinian protest encampment and Hamilton Hall where demonstrators barricaded themselves inside on April 30, 2024 in New York City. Police arrested nearly 100 people as they cleared the university of demonstrators who were issued a notice to disband their encampment after negotiations failed to come to a resolution. University President Minouche Shafik has requested the NYPD maintain a presence on campus through at least May 17.(Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

A man stands on breakwater with his bike along the waterfront in Auckland, New Zealand, Sunday, February 12, 2023. New Zealand's national carrier has canceled dozens of flights as Aucklanders brace for a deluge from Cyclone Gabrielle, two weeks after a record-breaking storm swamped the nation's largest city and killed several people. (Photo by Alex Burton/NZ Herald via AP Photo)

Runners use headtorches as they compete in Centurion South Downs Way 100 ultramarathon, at Firle Bostal near Lewes, south of London on June 9, 2024. The Centurion South Downs Way 100, is an ultramarathon, predominantly off road course, covering a distance of 100 miles (160,9 kilometres) and that takes the competitors along the South Downs Way from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex. (Photo by Ben Stansall/AFP Photo)

A handout photo made available by Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation shows hot lava spewing from Mount Ibu in North Maluku province, Indonesia, 04 July 2024 (issued 05 July 2024). The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) advises the community around Mount Ibu and visitors not to carry out activities within a radius of 2.0 kilometers and a sectoral expansion of 5 kilometers towards the crater opening in the northern part of the active crater of Mount Ibu. (Photo by PVMBG/EPA)