A group of cheetahs after they’ve caught a Günther’s dik-dik in Samburu National Reserve, Kenya.

The "Wildlife Photographer of the Year" contest, presented by the Natural History Museum in London, returns for its 61st edition, with curators showing audiences a sneak peek of some of the best photographs of nature.

Selected from more than 60,000 entries, the curated exhibit will spotlight "100 inspiring and powerful images" from the natural world. The photos were selected anonymously by an international panel of expert judges across wildlife photography, filmmaking, science and conservation, based "on their creativity, originality and technical excellence," the museum said in an Aug. 27 news release.

The museum said entries were submitted by "some of the finest emerging young wildlife photographers, some as young as nine years old."

Natural History Museum London Director Dr. Doug Gurr said in a statement that contest organizers "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."

Striking images from the collection include "a dramatic stand-off between a lion and a cobra," photographed by Gabriella Comi at Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, "a portrait of an inquisitive pack of Arctic wolves" by Amit Eshel and an aerial photograph of a wild elephant scavenging through a large waste dump in Sri Lanka by Lakshitha Karunarathna.

The selected images will be showcased at an exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London from Oct. 17, 2025, to July 12, 2026, the news release said, noting it aims to "help visitors understand how our planet’s habitats are changing."

Chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Jury Kathy Moran said in a statement that the preview gives "just a small insight into the 100 awe-inspiring, impactful and moving images in store for visitors to our exhibition in October."

"As an advocate for the power of photography, there is nothing more rewarding or moving than seeing our relationship to the natural world, in all its complexity and splendor, shared on the world’s biggest platform for wildlife photography," Moran said.

Category winners and the winner of the Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards will be announced Oct. 14 at a ceremony hosted at the museum. The ceremony will be available to watch live on the Natural History Museum’s YouTube channel.

See striking photographs from Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: See striking photos from Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest

Reporting by Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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