AP Photo/Martin Meissner
A two-month-old anteater climbs on its mother's back at the zoo in Dortmund, western Germany, Jan. 9, 2012.
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AP Photo/Martin Meissner
A two-month-old anteater climbs on its mother's back at the zoo in Dortmund, western Germany, Jan. 9, 2012.
REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin
Khan, a 2-year-old male rare Bengali white tiger, licks snow inside an open-air cage at the Royev Ruchey zoo in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, January 11, 2012.
AFP PHOTO / THOMAS FREY
Eight-month old fawn "Mia" lies next to Labrador "Josie" and Collie "Luna" in a house in Ellscheid, western Germany, January 9, 2012. Mia was fed with a baby bottle by the family that takes care of the young orphan.
AFP PHOTO / THOMAS FREY
Eight-month old fawn "Mia" stands in a corridor of a house in Ellscheid western Germany, on January 9, 2012.
AFP PHOTO / THOMAS FREY
Eight-month old fawn "Mia" stands in a garden behind a sign saying "Mia crossing", in Ellscheid western Germany, January 9, 2012.
AFP PHOTO / HENDRIK SCHMIDT
A baby rhinoceros runs through its enclosure on January 12, 2012 at the zoo in Magdeburg, eastern Germany. The little black rhinoceros was born on Christmas 2011 at the zoo.
Shikhei Goh of Indonesia is the winner of the 2011 National Geographic Photography Contest.
More than 20,000 photographs were submitted to the contest from over 130 countries, with both professional photographers and amateur photo enthusiasts participating. Photographs were submitted in three categories: people, places and nature.
Here are a selection of images from the Nature category.
The winning submissions can be viewed at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/. Users also can download wallpapers and jigsaw puzzles of contest entries.
2011 National Geographic Photo Contest
Nature Category:
Grand Prize Winner and Nature Winner
“Splashing”
Photo and caption by Shikhei Goh
This photo was taken when I was taking photos of other insects, as I normally did during macro photo hunting. I wasn’t actually aware of this dragonfly since I was occupied with other objects. When I was about to take a picture of it, it suddenly rained, but the lighting was just superb. I decided to take the shot regardless of the rain. The result caused me to be overjoyed, and I hope it pleases viewers.
Location: Batam, Riau Islands, Indonesia
2011 National Geographic Photo Contest
Honorable Mention
“The Hunt”
Photo and caption by Stefano Pesarelli
I personally believe that, beyond the formal representation of reality, mediated by the technical instruments necessary to fix an image in time, photography is made of insights. The shot is the last act of image capturing and in many ways the easiest part of the whole process. This panning effect, even in its imperfection, with the chromatic harmony of the background, with all the needless information eliminated and the luck of having the big cat’s lifted tail in symmetry with the impala horns, brings the observer inside the hunting without distractions.
Location: Kenya, Masai Mara National Reserve
2011 National Geographic Photo Contest
Honorable Mention
“Blue Pond & First Snow”
Photo and caption by Kent Shiraishi
The blue pond of the famous tourist resort. This is a place where many tourists gather in spring, summer, and autumn. However, since this pond freezes in winter, nobody is there during that period. This photograph is the moment of the first snow of the season falling on that blue pond. We can see the first snow of the season beginning at the end of October. Why is the pond blue? Because the underground hot spring ingredient is gushing. This blue pond changes color every day. I think that mystical blue and pure white snow are beautiful. All are nature's tints.
Location: Biei, Hokkaido, Japan
2011 National Geographic Photo Contest
Honorable Mention
“Sunrising Jellyfish”
Photo and caption by Angel Fitor
Jellyfish (Cotylorhiza tuberculata) drifting just beneath the surface, looking to capture the first sunrays to trigger their symbiotic algae to produce energy for it.
Location: Mar Menor coastal lagoon, Murcia province, Spain
2011 National Geographic Photo Contest
Honorable Mention
“Panic in the Pan”
Photo and caption by Marius Coetzee
I was leading a photographic safari in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. It was midday and we came across a dazzle of zebra approaching a waterhole to quench their thirst. Every few minutes the zebras will enter the water to drink, just to panic and scatter out of the water again.
Location: Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
AP Photo/Martin Meissner
A sloth enjoys a warm lamp on a winters day at the zoo in Dortmund, western Germany, Jan. 9, 2012.
REUTERS/Mike Blake
An African Crowned Crane found wandering the streets of Encinitas, California is shown safe at the County Department of Animal Services January 9, 2012. The bird, normally found on the savannas of Africa, was coaxed into a woman's garage after she found it honking at her on her home driveway.
REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
A Saint-Bernard puppy plays with its mother Phybie at the Saint-Bernard kennel in Martigny January 9, 2012. The Saint-Bernard kennel in Martigny is the oldest breeding centre of the traditional pedigree in Switzerland. Four puppies, who were born on December 18, 2011, will be handed over to new owners when they reach three months.
Storms that have lashed the Dutch coast this year have created a wave of orphaned baby seals, some so young their umbilical cords are still attached, wrenched from their mothers and washed up on beaches and dikes. An existing Pieterburen seal rehabilitation and research center (SRRC) near the northern city of Groningen has been so inundated with pups and older seals in recent weeks it has erected a temporary tent to house them while they are nurtured back to health before being returned to the wild.
AP Photo/Peter Dejong
A volunteer feeds a seal a herring at the Pieterburen seal creche, north of the town of Groningen, northern Netherlands, Jan. 12, 2012.
AP Photo/Peter Dejong
A volunteer, right, puts medicaments inside herring to be fed to seals at the Pieterburen seal creche, north of the town of Groningen, northern Netherlands, Jan. 12, 2012.
AFP PHOTO/ ANP CATRINUS VAN DER VEEN
The seal sanctuary in Pieterburen, Netherlands on January 12, is looking after seals weakened by last week's storm. Currently there are about 360 of them. There is normally just room for about 80 animals, so a tent containing bathtubs and small swimming pools was placed on the premises.
AP Photo/Peter Dejong
Three seals in a tank wait to be fed at the Pieterburen seal creche, north of the town of Groningen, northern Netherlands, Jan. 12, 2012.
AP Photo/Peter Dejong
A volunteer feeds a seal a herring at the Pieterburen seal creche, north of the town of Groningen, northern Netherlands, Jan. 12, 2012.
AP Photo/Peter Dejong
Seals swim and rest in a tank at the Pieterburen seal creche, north of the town of Groningen, northern Netherlands, Jan. 12, 2012.
AP Photo/Peter Dejong
Two seals swim in a tank at the Pieterburen seal creche, north of the town of Groningen, northern Netherlands, Jan. 12, 2012.
AFP PHOTO / BRITTA PEDERSEN
Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs Erna (L) and Willy stand in their enclosure in Tierpark Berlin on December 30, 2011. The young pigs are newly elected lucky charm pigs of the zoo.
