The best works of the "Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018" photo contest

The Natural History Museum of London summed up the results of the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018 (Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2018). The main prize went to the famous Dutch photographer Marcel Van Osten. The victory was brought to him by a picture of two thoughtful monkeys taken in the Qinling Mountains in China.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the world's largest wildlife photography competition. In 2018, the jury selected the winner from 45 thousand images sent from 95 countries of the world. An 8-year-old leopard who has just woken up in Botswana and a mountain gorilla in Uganda who refuses to accept the death of her cub have become another triumphant contestants. Below you can get acquainted with both the above frames, as well as with other prize-winning photos.

Male and female monkeys with pronounced blue muzzles were photographed in a wooded area of the Chinese Qinling Mountain range. This is the only place on Earth where you can still observe this endangered species in the wild.

"The Idle Leopard", photographer: Skye Meaker, South Africa.

"Relic of the Desert", photographer: Jen Guyton, Germany/USA.

"Hellbent", photographer: David Gerasimchuk (David Herasimtschuk), USA.

"Kuhirva mourns her cub", photographer: Ricardo Nunez Montero.

"Vision", photographer: Jan van der Greef, Netherlands.

"Ice Pool", photographer: Cristobal Serrano (Cristobal Serrano), Spain.

"Mother Defender", photographer: Javier Aznar Gonzalez de Rueda (Javier Aznar Gonzalez de Rueda), Spain.

"Tree", photographer: Alejandro Prieto (Alejandro Prieto), Mexico.

"Owls in the chimney", photographer: Arshdeep Singh (Arshdep Singkh), India.

"Bloodshed", photographer: Thomas P. Peschak (Thomas P. Peschak), Germany/South Africa.

"Dunes", photographer: Orlando Fernandez Miranda (Orlando Fernandez Miranda), Spain.

"Burrowing wasps at work", photographer: Georgina Steytler (Dzhordzhina Steytler), Australia.

"Seal rookery", photographer: Cristobal Serrano (Cristobal Serrano), Spain.

"The Falling Asleep Duck", photographer: Carlos Perez Naval, Spain.

"Imaginary Duel", photographer: Michel d'Oultremont, Belgium.

"Night Flight", photographer: Michael Patrick O'Neill (Michael Patrick O'Neill), USA.

"Crossing the road", photographer: Marco Colombo, Italy.

"Sad Clown", photographer: Joan de la Malla (Joan de la Malla), Spain.