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 truffle is seen on a table in Alba, north-western Italy November 11, 2013. Located in the heart of the Langhe – the hilly southern area of Italy's northwestern Piedmont region – Alba is the country's capital of white truffles, a variety of the prized fungus which grows underground. Truffles are found two to eight inches (5-20cm) below the ground near the roots of trees. They give off an odour which lasts for a limited period of time and can be detected with the assistance of well-trained dogs and experienced hunters. Output of white truffles, which are not cultivated and only grow naturally in forests, has fallen in Italy over the past few years, largely because climate change has brought a damaging mix of drought and torrential rains. (Photo by Stefano Rellandini/Reuters)

A Rafale fighter jet flies over France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier as it makes its way in the Gulf, January 28, 2016. (Photo by Philippe Wojazer/Reuters)

A model presents a creation from The Blonds during New York Fashion Week Fall-Winter 2025 in New York City, U.S., February 8, 2025. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Reuters)

A model presents a creation from The Blonds during New York Fashion Week Fall-Winter 2025 in New York City, U.S., February 8, 2025. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Reuters)

A woman watches the rain from inside a stranded vehicle on a flooded street in Mianyang, Sichuan, China on July 11, 2018. (Photo by China News Service via Reuters)

A boy attempts to keep a candle lit in a flooded cemetery following Typhoon Molave, in Masantol, Pampanga, Philippines, October 27, 2020. (Photo by Eloisa Lopez/Reuters)

A guest arrives outside the Anna Sui show at the Strand Rare Book Room in New York on February 10, 2024. (Photo by Jeenah Moon for The Washington Post)