A bird is cleaned at the International Bird Rescue in Fairfield, California January 20, 2015. A gooey, unknown material discovered on the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay is clinging to the feathers of birds, and more than 100 birds, mostly species of oceangoing, diving ducks, have died after their feathers were fouled by the viscous substance now undergoing testing at state labs in Sacramento. (Photo by Robert Galbraith/Reuters)

For the Torajan people of Indonesia, death is part of a spiritual journey: families keep the mummified remains of their deceased relatives in their homes for years – and traditionally invite them to join for lunch on a daily basis – before they are eventually buried. Here: Todeng died in 2009. A young relative of his, Sam, lights him a cigarette and changes his glasses. (Photo by Claudio Sieber Photography/The Guardian)

The Tsaatan people are one of the world’s last groups of nomadic reindeer herders and they live in Khövsgöl Aimag in northern Mongolia. They are originally from across the border in what is now the Tuva republic of Russia. (Photo by Pascal Mannaerts/Rex Feature/Shutterstock)

In this Monday, March 28, 2016 photo, trainer Catrina Bloomquist works with Nav, an 11-year-old rescued California sea lion, as part of a new exhibit opening at the Georgia Aquarium. The aquarium is in the midst of celebrating its tenth anniversary, and as part of the festivities, patrons will be introduced to the newest faces in Atlanta, a group of rescued California sea lions. (Photo by David Goldman/AP Photo)

Staff at a Scottish farm say they are “absolutely delighted” to have welcomed a baby alpaca into the world this morning, June 6, 2019. Mum, Nunavut, gave birth to the baby boy huacaya alpaca, which has not yet been named, weighing 9.6kg. Stuart Ramsay, the owner of Velvet Hall Alpacas, in Innerleithen, Scottish Borders said he was surprised when the baby was born an “unusual rose grey colour”. (Photo by South West News Service)

A Sri Lankan leopard is pictured at a zoo in Dehiwala near Colombo on March 3, 2016, on World Wildlife Day. (Photo by Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP Photo)

This picture shows a two-year old orangutan seized from a residents house at the provincial Nature Conservation and Agency (BKSDSA) office in Banda Aceh on September 16, 2014. The critically-endangered primates population are dwindling rapidly due to poaching and rapid destruction of their forest habitat that is being converted into palm oil plantations. (Photo by Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP Photo)

From towering elephants to tiny insects, photographers will be offering a rare insight into the natural world at this year’s Wildscreen Photography Festival 2014. The festival, formerly known as WildPhotos, is the UK’s largest wildlife photography show. The Wildscreen Photography Festival 2014 will be taking place between 24-26 October at London’s Royal Geographical Society. (Photo by Sam Hobson/Wildscreen Photography Festival 2014)