People view pelicans napping on a footpath in St James’s Park in London, United Kingdom on a mild day October 18, 2021. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Alamy Live News)

First place, The Beauty of Plants. “There are many stages of lotus growth on display at the Aquatic Gardens, but to come across twotwisted dancing stems of nelumbo nucifera was unexpected and quite magical”. (Photo by Kathleen Furey/The Guardian)

The American producer, rapper and fashion designer Kanye West with his wife Bianca Censori head out for a shopping spree during their Tuscan holiday in Italy on August 30, 2023. Kanye and Bianca visited the Balenciaga store which was closed to the public as they spent 45 minutes browsing through some expensive designer clothing. With the unusual sight of walking barefooted, the couple returned to their hotel via their taxi as Bianca showed off her stunning physique in her tight figure hugging dress and was all smiles, holding a treat from the Balenciaga store as they capped off the day with an aperitif. (Photo by Backgrid UK)

A mahout carrying leaves rides an elephant along a street in Amritsar on February 27, 2024. (Photo by Narinder Nanu/AFP Photo)

A vendor gestures as he arranges watermelons for sale at a market in Colombo on February 17, 2025. (Photo by Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP Photo)

Bo, a 55-day-old baby Echidna known as a puggle, rests in the hands of vet nurse Annabelle Sehlmeier at Taronga Zoo in Sydney November 1, 2012. The puggle was brought to the zoo after it being found by itself on a walking track north of Sydney and will be fed by hand until it is weaned at about six months of age. (Photo by Tim Wimborne/Reuters)

Second place, Nature: double trapping. Picture taken in the Brazilian Pantanal ... when I downloaded the CF did not want to believe it ... The nature knows we always give magnificent events but sometimes extraordinary. (Photo by Massimiliano Bencivenni/National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest)

A raccoon crawls out of its hiding place on the roof in Berlin, Germany on May 12, 2020. Every evening he leaves his sleeping place to go in search of food. (Photo by Britta Pedersen/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa)