Jaw-dropping moments in nature captured in this photography competition

From a gorilla tenderly embracing its caretaker to a black grouse's sensational mating ritual, this year's BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition-winning images represent the best nature photography around the world.

Taking Centre Stage - black grouse mating display in Norway. Image by Audun Rikardsen

Rarely-seen animal behaviour and extraordinary moments in nature are seen in this year's competition. Over 6500 submissions were entered by world-class photographers from 67 countries with the goal to showcase Earth’s biodiversity, as well as some of the mounting threats to the natural world. This year's grand prize-winning image was captured by photographer Audun Rikardsen of Tromsø, Norway. The jaw-dropping image captures a puffed-up black male grouse putting on a showy display to capture the attention of a female.

Daniel Dietrich was a finalist in Terrestrial Wildlife with this shot of a trio of polar bears walking past a pile of whale bones on Barter Island in northern Alaska. Image by Daniel Dietrich

"This year's grand prize-winner is a stunning photo that combines technical skills and creative brilliance," Suzi Eszterhas, BigPicture jury chair, said in a statement. "Here, the photographer has managed to capture the grouse’s breeding display in a way that transports the viewer to the scene. It is a testament to how patience, dedication, and deeply knowing your subject can produce a remarkable image."
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