A snapshot of a high-stakes stand-off between a lion and a cobra, a wide-angle image of an inquisitive pack of Arctic wolves and a capture of a three-toed sloth clutching a fence post are among a batch of recently released photos shortlisted in this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

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Wake-up Call
Image © Gabriella Comi / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The images were selected from record-breaking pool of 60,636 entries from across the globe and will form part of the final 100 photos set to showcase in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London, from Friday, 17 October 2025.

"Now in its sixty-first year, we are thrilled to continue Wildlife Photographer of the Year as a powerful platform for visual storytelling, showing the diversity, beauty and complexity of the natural world and humanity's relationship to it," explains Dr Doug Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum. "With the inclusion of our Biodiversity Intactness Index, this year’s exhibition will be our best combination of great artistry and groundbreaking science yet, helping visitors to become inspired to be advocates for our planet."

The category and overall winners will be announced at a ceremony on 14 October hosted at the Natural History Museum by wildlife TV presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin.

Here's a sneak peek at some of the images in contention:

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No Place Like Home
Image © Emmanuel Tardy / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Rutting Call
Image © Jamie Smart / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Essence of Kamchatka
Image © Kesshav Vikram / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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A Tale of Two Coyotes
Image © Parham Pourahmad / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Pink Pose
Image © Leana Kuster / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Ice Edge Journey
Image © Bertie Gregory / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Inside the Pack
Image © Amit Eshel / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Deadly Lessons
Image © Marina Cano / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Slime Family Portrait
Image © Kutub Uddin / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Jelly Smack Summer
Image © Ralph Pace / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Nature Reclaims Its Space
Image © Sitaram Raul / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Fragile River of Life
Image © Isaac Szabo / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Toxic Tip
Image © Lakshitha Karunarathna / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
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Special Delivery
Image © Bidyut Kalita / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.