First images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards revealed

Forest rodeo by Atsuyuki Ohshima, from Japan, which has been Highly Commended in the Behaviour: Mammals category. Atsuyuki Ohshima / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

The face of the persecuted by Neil Aldridge, from South Africa, which has been Highly Commended in the Photojournalism category. Neil Aldridge/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year/ PA

Firebirds by Elza Friedlander, from Germany, which has been Highly Commended in the Behaviour: Birds category. Elza Friedlander / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

EMBARGOED TO 0001 THURSDAY AUGUST 31 PRINT USE ONLY. NO SALES, NO ARCHIVE, NO CROPPING, CAN ONLY BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM'S WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION MANDATORY CREDIT: Jasper Doest/Wildlife Photographer of the Year THE FOLLOWING MUST APPEAR CLEARLY AND LEGIBLY IN EDITORIAL COPY: Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. Undated handout photo issued by Natural History Museum of Fight to the death by Jasper Doest, from The Netherlands, which has been Highly Commended in the Photojournalism category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The overall winners, including the Grand Title winner, will be announced on October 10, with the exhibition of the 100 award-winning images opening at the Natural History Museum on October 13. Issue date: Thursday August 31, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Photography. Photo credit should read: Jasper Doest/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

The vanishing seal by Bruno D'Amicis, from Italy, which has been Highly Commended in the Natural Artistry category. Bruno D'Amicis / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

Race for life by Donglin Zhou, from China, which has been Highly Commended in the Behaviour: Mammals category. Donglin Zhou / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

Mason bee at work by Solvin Zankl, from Germany, which has been Highly Commended in the Behaviour: Invertebrates category. Solvin Zankl / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

Mushroom magic by Agorastos Papatsanis, from Greece, which has been Highly Commended in the Plants and Fungi category. Agorastos Papatsanis / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

Coral connections by Alex Mustard, from the UK, which has been Highly Commended in the Under Water category. Alex Mustard / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

Possum's midnight snack by Caitlin Henderson, from Australia, which has been Highly Commended in the Urban Wildlife category. Caitlin Henderson / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

War cub by Michal Siarek, from Poland, which has been Highly Commended in the Photojournalism category. Michal Siarek / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

Snow bison by Max Waugh, from the USA, which has been Highly Commended in the Animal Portraits category. Max Waugh / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

EMBARGOED TO 0001 THURSDAY AUGUST 31 PRINT USE ONLY. NO SALES, NO ARCHIVE, NO CROPPING, CAN ONLY BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM'S WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR COMPETITION MANDATORY CREDIT: Shashwat Harish/Wildlife Photographer of the Year THE FOLLOWING MUST APPEAR CLEARLY AND LEGIBLY IN EDITORIAL COPY: Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. Undated handout photo issued by Natural History Museum of The catwalk by Shashwat Harish, from Kenya, which has been Highly Commended in the 11-14 Years category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The overall winners, including the Grand Title winner, will be announced on October 10, with the exhibition of the 100 award-winning images opening at the Natural History Museum on October 13. Issue date: Thursday August 31, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story ENVIRONMENT Photography. Photo credit should read: Shashwat Harish/Wildlife Photographer of the Year/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Coot on ice by Zhai Zeyu, from China, which has been Highly Commended in the 10 Years and Under category. Zhai Zeyu / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

Prize catch by Jef Pattyn, from Belgium and the Netherlands, which has been Highly Commended in the Oceans: The Bigger Picture category. Jef Pattyn / Wildlife Photographer of the Year / PA

A bee buzzing, a disappearing seal and bison in the snow are among the first images released from this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.

The stunning images from around the world capture fascinating moments in nature.

The images received coveted prizes in their categories and were released to promote the awards ceremony on October 10, which will be hosted by wildlife TV presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin.

Developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London, the competition showcases some lesser-known behaviours and habitats while exposing human impact on an increasingly fragile natural world.

Caitlin Henderson was able to snap an opossum munching on insects in the middle of the night outside her balcony window in Queensland, Australia.

“There were heads here, wings there,” she said after capturing the marsupial dismembering a green cicada.

Atsuyuki Ohshima caught the moment a macaque sprang from a tree on to a deer on the Japanese island of Yakushima.

Young male primates have been known to land on female deer, but in this case the macaque was a young female who appeared to be enjoying the ride.

“We are facing urgent biodiversity and climate crises and photography is a powerful catalyst for change,” Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, said.

“The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition reveals some of nature's most wondrous sights whilst offering hope and achievable actions visitors can take to help protect the natural world.”

'A powerful tension between wonder and woe'

The catwalk by Shashwat Harish, from Kenya, was among the highly commended images. Shashwat Harish/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Among the 15 images is a fox that was photographed in a south-east England rehabilitation centre after being attacked, most likely by dogs, and two white storks hunting alongside a fire in Kenya that had been lit to clear bushland.

A rare snow leopard hunting a Pallas's cat in China, a mason bee building its home from twigs, the swirling spores of a mushroom in Greece and a tiger cub being evacuated from eastern Ukraine also feature.

“What most impressed the jury was the range of subjects, from absolute beauty, rarely seen behaviours and species to images that are stark reminders of what we are doing to the natural world,” judging panel chairwoman Kathy Moran said.

“We felt a powerful tension between wonder and woe that we believe came together to create a thought-provoking collection of photographs.”

The 59th competition received nearly 50,000 entries from 95 countries, with photographers judged anonymously on their creativity, originality and technical skill.

An exhibition will run at the Natural History Museum from October 13 until June 30 next year with a UK and international tour of the photos afterwards.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: 2022's winning images

Under Antarctic ice by Laurent Ballesta, winner of the Portfolio Award category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. All photos: PA

Shooting star by Tony Wu, winner of the Underwater category.

Battle stations by Ekaterina Bee, winner of the Young Wildlife Photography of the Year, ages 10 and under category.

New life for the tohora by Richard Robinson, winner of the Oceans: The Bigger Picture category.

The big buzz by Karine Aigner, overall winner and winner of the Behaviour: Invertebrates category.

The Cuban connection by Karine Aigner, overall winner and winner of the Photojournalist Story Award category.

The beauty of baleen by Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn, winner of the Young Wildlife Photography of the Year, ages 15-17 category.

Spectacled bear's slim outlook by Daniel Mideros, winner of the Animals in Their Environment category.

The dying lake by Daniel Nunez, winner of the Wetlands - The Bigger Picture category.

The listening bird by Nick Kanaki, winner of the Behaviour: Birds category.

The great cliff chase by Anand Nambiar, winner of the Behaviour: Mammals category.

The magical morels by Agorastos Papatsani, winner of the Plants and Fungi category.

Ndakasi's passing by Brent Stirton, winner of the Photojournalism category.

The bat-snatcher by Fernando Constantino Martinez Belmar, winner of the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles category.

House of bears by Dmitry Kokh, winner of the Urban Wildlife category.

Puff perfect by Jose Juan Hernandez Martine, winner of the Animal Portraits category.

Out of the fog by Ismael Dominguez Gutierrez, winner of the Young Wildlife Photography, ages 11-14 category.

Heavenly flamingos by Junji Takasago, winner of the Natural Artistry category.

A theatre of birds by Mateusz Piesiak, winner of the Rising Star Portfolio Award category.