Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Check out these amazing pics!





The Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition has been launched. It's asking members of the public to vote for their favourite image to win the People’s Choice Award. Here's a selection of some of the 25 shortlisted entries.



Say cheese! Aren't these tiny owl chicks the cutest?! After days of waiting, photographer Andrew caught the precious moment when a mum and her brood suddenly turned in his direction! Perfect timing!

ANDREW LEE / WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR





Brrr! We're getting cold just looking at this fluffy hare ball! Photographer Andy spent five weeks watching mountain hares in the Scottish Highlands to capture this perfect spherical shape.

ANDY PARKINSON / WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR





Woah, check out this dude! You'd be forgiven for thinking it was some kind of alien. This is the Japanese warbonnet - an unusual fish that lives among the stones and rocks of shallow coastal waters.

ANDREY SHPATAK / WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR





That's one surprised hound! This large moose took an interest in the furry visitor and the driver of the car wasn't able to move before the moose came over to say hello.

GUILLERMO ESTEVES/WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YR





This colourful mandrill is the alpha in his troop because the colours on his snout are so bright. Capturing this primate is difficult because they love to hide in tropical forests in remote parts of Central Africa.

MOGENS TROLLE / WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR





Ok, ok - this is definitely a contender for the cutest (and comfiest!) animal ever! This Eurasian red squirrel is having a snooze in a nest box photographer Neil put up on a pine tree in the Scottish Highlands.

NEIL ANDERSON / WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR





A fire line leaves a trail of destruction through woodland near the border of the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Cape York, Queensland, Australia. The area is of high conservation significance, with over 30 different ecosystems found there, and is home to many endangered species.

ROBERT IRWIN / WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR





Spot the kittens! These two Iberian lynx kittens camouflage perfectly with these hay bales in Spain. The reintroduction of the species to eastern Sierra Morena, Spain, has seen them, in more recent years, take advantage of some human environments.

SERGIO MARIJUÁN CAMPUZANO / WPY





Check out this glimpse into a magical underwater world! The green sea turtles seen here are endangered species, but at locations in the Bahamas they can be observed with ease. An ecotourism project run by fishermen (some who used to hunt turtles) uses shellfish scraps to attract the turtles to the dock.

THOMAS PESCHAK / WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR





This photo looks like something straight out of The Lion King. This powerful portrait of a huge male lion was taken on the Serengeti in Tanzania.

WIM VAN DEN HEEVER/WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF YEAR