Incredible Animal Pictures Star in Nature’s Best Photography Awards 2024

06 Nov 2024, 18:22 by Matt Growcoot · Peta Pixel

Photo credit: Jennifer Smith, left, Hira Punjabi, right.

Nature’s Best Photography Awards has announced the winners of its 2024 competition with a mother Bengal tiger teaching its son how to fight taking home the top prize of $5,000.

Mangesh Desai from Pune, Maharashtra, India was made Grand Prize Winner for his picture taken at the Taboda-Andhari Tiger Reserve. “Over the years, I have witnessed this young tiger on his path toward independence, starting with lessons from his mother teaching him to defend his territory,” says Desai.

“His path toward independence as an adult starts with the challenge of learning to define and safeguard his territory. This image illustrates a pivotal life lesson as the mother teaches her cub how to fight, giving a masterclass in survival.

Grand Prize Winner. Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, India By © Mangesh Ratnakar Desai, Pune, Maharashtra, Indii

Winner of the Birds category. Each category winner received $1,000. “I caught the fleeting moment as two fish leaped out of the water and passed by an egret.” | Yundang Lake, Xiamen, Fujian, China By © Xiaoping Lin, Xiamen City, Fujian, China.

Winner of the Landscapes category. “A stunning field of Paepalanthus mirrors the rising sun’s rays, giving the impression of self-luminescence.” | Wildflowers at Sunrise, Alto Paraíso, Goiás, Brazil By © Marcio Cabral of Brasília, Brazil

Winner of the Outdoor Adventure category. ” The moon passing directly between Earth and Sun during an annular eclipse, made this highliner’s experience even more extreme.” | Bureau of Land Management Area Near Monticello, Utah, USA By © Belva Hayden of Waterbury Center, Vermont, USA

Winner of the Wildlife category. “In addition to the difficulty of focusing on the action, dust was in the air; but it all added to one of my favorite memories as a nature photographer.” | Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana By Kevin Dooley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Winner of the Animal Antics category. “The genuine tenderness between these wild animals made me smile and serves as a poignant reminder that each living creature has a unique value within our universe.” | Simpson Springs, Onaqui Mountain Herd Management Area, Skull Valley, Dugway, Utah, USA By © Brian Clopp of Huntsville, Utah, USA

Winner of the Art in Nature category. “This aerial photo of a frozen lake revealed a symmetrical design not visible at ground level.” | Baingoin County, Nagqu, Tibet, China By © Lei Li, Honghe, Yunnan, China

Winner of the Polar Passion category. “My fingers and face became numb after exposure to the cold Hudson Bay when I photographed this group of very curious and vocal belugas.” | Hudson Bay, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada © By Brett Freliche of Morgan Hill, California, USA

Winner of the Conservation Single category. “To me, this picture signifies the future of our planet, literally ‘hanging by a thread’ without our conservation action.” | Shetland Island, Scotland, UK By © Khurram Khan of Piscataway, New Jersey, USA

Winner of the Ocean Views category.”Being surrounded by this superpod while free diving was one of the most amazing encounters of my life.” | Off Quepos, Costa Rica By © Cécile Gabillon of Toulouse, France

Winner of the Birds category. “This project tells the story of the annual migration of the monarch butterfly — one of the most iconic wildlife spectacles in North America.” | Mexico, USA, and Canada By © Jaime Rojo of Madrid, Spain

Winner of Youth Photographer of the Year category. “When a stonechat was perched near a bolt on a metal gate, it appeared as if it were the guardian of the territory.”| Arcos de la Frontera, Cádiz, Spain By © Alberto Román Gómez, at age 9, of Ubrique, Cádiz, Spain

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Alaskan Brown Bear Sow and Cubs, Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA By © Jennifer Smith of Kodiak, Alaska, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | ANIMAL ANTICS | Barred Owlets, Seward Park, Seattle, Washington, USA By © Glenn Nelson of Seattle, Washington, USA

HIGHLY HONORED | LANDSCAPES | Lenticular Cloud over Jason Harbor, South Georgia Island By © Ralph Lee Hopkins of Buena Vista, Colorado, USA

2025 will be Nature’s Best Photography’s 30th year. It was founded to inspire, educate, and motivate a better appreciation and conservation of the natural world through the art of photography, storytelling, and personal wellness initiatives.

To see all of the winners and find out more, head to Nature’s Best Photography website. Nature’s Best Photography also currently has two competitions open to the public: Nature’s Best Backyards and U.S. National Parks photo competitions. They can be entered here.