Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017 finalists

Arctic treasure © Sergey Gorshkov/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Arctic treasure by Sergey Gorshkov. Russia. Finalist 2017, Animal Portraits © Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Bear hug © Ashleigh Scully/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Carrying its trophy from a raid on a snow goose nest, an Arctic fox heads for a suitable burial spot on Wrangel Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Russian Far East. And when the new generation of young foxes begins to explore, they too will benefit from the hidden treasures.

Bold eagle © Klaus Nigge/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Glimpse of a lynx © Laura Albiac Vilas/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Bear hug by Ashleigh Scully. USA. Finalist 2017 © Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 11-14 Years. After fishing for clams at low tide, this mother brown bear was leading her young spring cubs back across the beach to the nearby meadow in Alaska’s Lake Clark National Park. But one young cub just wanted to stay and play. The result is a cameo of brown bear family life.

Resplendent delivery © Tyohar Kastiel/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Bold eagle by Klaus Nigge. Germany. Finalist 2017, Animal Portraits © Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Romance among the angels © Andrey Narchuk/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

After several days of constant rain, the bald eagle was soaked to the skin. Bald eagles are named after their conspicuous but fully-feathered white head (bald derives from an old word for white). At Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island in Alaska, USA, bald eagles gather to take advantage of the fishing industry’s leftovers. Used to people, the birds are bold.

Saguaro twist © Jack Dykinga/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Saved but caged © Steve Winter/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Glimpse of a lynx by Laura Albiac Vilas. Spain. Finalist 2017, Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year, 11-14 Years © Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Sewage surfer © Justin Hofman/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The illusive Iberian lynx is an endangered cat found only in two small populations in southern Spain. Laura’s family travelled to the Sierra de Andújar Natural Park in search of the lynx – and struck lucky on their second day – a pair were relaxing not far from the road. “The animals’ attitude surprised me. They weren’t scared of people – they simply ignored us,” says Laura. “I felt so emotional to be so close to them.”

Swim gym © Laurent Ballesta/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The insiders © Qing Lin/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Tyohar watched the pair of resplendent quetzals from dawn to dusk for more than a week as they delivered fruits and the occasional insect or lizard to their two chicks on a tree in the Costa Rican cloud forest of San Gerardo de Dota. Then something wonderful happened. The parents taught their chicks to fly moving to another branch and rewarding them with a wild avocado. The family flew off together into the rainforest, leaving Tyohar bereft – and thrilled.

Winter pause © Mats Anderss/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Romance among the angels by Andrey Narchuk. Russia. Finalist 2017, Behaviour: Invertebrates © Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

The power of the matriarch © David Lloyd/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Andrey was on an expedition to the Sea of Okhotsk in the Russian Far East, and found himself surrounded by thousands of mating sea angels. Sea angels are molluscs related to slugs and snails. Each individual is both male and female, and here they are getting ready to insert their copulatory organs into each other to transfer sperm in synchrony.