The David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage takes in juvenile elephants (Loxodonta africana) orphaned by ivory poachers, Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa, Africa

Swift fox (Vulpes velox) adults and two kits, Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado, United States of America, North America

Swift fox (Vulpes velox) adult and two kits, Pawnee National Grassland, Colorado, United States of America, North America

Yellow-bellied marmot (yellowbelly marmot) (Marmota flaviventris) young and adult, San Juan National Forest, Colorado, United States of America, North America

Snorkeller swimming with a juvenile whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Adult female proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) with new born baby with a distinctive blue tinged face, Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Olive Baboon (Papio cynocephalus anubis) juvenile grooming an adult male, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, East Africa, Africa

African elephant (Loxodonta africana) adult and young, Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, Africa

Swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) adult feeding young, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa, Africa

Snorkeller with a juvenile whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding on the suface in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Common eland (Taurotragus oryx) adult and young, Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, Africa

Olive baboon (Papio cynocephalus anubis) juvenile grooming an adult male, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, East Africa, Africa

Swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) adult and juvenile, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa, Africa

Snorkellers with a juvenile whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding at the suface in Honda Bay, Palawan, The Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Juvenile in front and adult Eurasian Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus), Lofoton Islands, Norway, Scandinavia, Europe

African elephant (Loxodonta africana) juvenile and adult, Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, Africa

African elephant (Loxodonta africana) adult and juvenile, Kruger National Park, South Africa, Africa

Impala (Aepyceros melampus) adult and juvenile females, Kruger National Park, South Africa, Africa

Adult female leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) stalking juvenile Adélie penguins at Brown Bluff near the Antarctic Peninsula.

Adult female leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) killing and eating a juvenile Adélie penguin at Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula.

Adult and juvenile king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), at breeding colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, Polar Regions

Adult yellow-nosed albatross (Thalassarche chlorohynchos) in flight near the Tristan da Cunha Group, South Atlantic Ocean

Adult female leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) stalking juvenile Adélie penguins on ice at Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula.

A juvenile polar bear (Ursus maritimus) skull, possibly predated by adult polar bear, in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, Arctic, Europe

King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) adult and chick at breeding and nesting colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, Polar Regions

Adult female leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) killing and eating a juvenile Adélie penguin at Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula.

Adult female leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) killing and eating a juvenile Adélie penguin at Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula.

Adult female leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) killing and eating a juvenile Adélie penguin at Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula.

Macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) scrambling up steep cliffs at Hercules Bay on South Georgia Island, Polar Regions

Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica), at breeding colony at Half Moon Island, Antarctica, Southern Ocean, Polar Regions

Adult kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), nesting on lichen covered rocks on Half Moon Island in Antarctica, Southern Ocean, Polar Regions

Adult black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys), in flight returning to nesting site on West Point Island, Falklands, South America

Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) in mixed juvenile and adult plumage with a prize from a wildebeest kill, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Serengeti, Tanzania, East Africa, Africa

Adult and juvenile king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), at breeding colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, Polar Regions

Adult and juvenile black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) nesting near Stykkishholmur on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Iceland, Polar Regions

Juvenile brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), plunge diving in Urbina Bay, Galapagos Islands, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ecuador, South America

African elephant (Loxodonta africana) adult and baby, Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa, Africa

Adult and juvenile king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), at breeding colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, Polar Regions

Warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) wallowing, Mkhuze Game Reserve, South Africa, Africa

Chacma baboon (Papio cynocephalus ursinus), with baby, Kruger National Park, South Africa, Africa

Kori bustard (Ardeotis kori) adult and ckick, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania, East Africa, Africa

Two African elephants (Loxodonta africana) female and a sub-adult, Khwai Concession, Okavango Delta, Botswana, Africa

An adult and juvenile Icelandic horse in a field in rural Iceland, Polar Regions

Adult olive baboon (Papio anubis) carrying juvenile on its back in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, East Africa, Africa

A sub-adult male lion (Panthera leo) feeding on a buffalo kill, Tsavo, Kenya, East Africa, Africa

A Common Starling, Sturnus vulgaris in Seahouses, Northumberland, UK, moulting from Juvenile to adult plumage.

Bateleur eagles. Terathopius ecaudatus. Adult and juvenile perched on branch, botswana

Wandering albatross (diomedea exulans) prion island, south georgia, adult feeding chick

Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella), juvenile and adult female animals, South Georgia, South Atlantic Ocean, Polar Regions

Two flying-foxes in care, juvenile male little red flying-fox (Pteropus scapulatus) and adult female black fying-fox (Pteropus alecto), Hopkins Creek, New South Wales, Australia, Pacific

Mother and pup (nursing) southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) on the beach at President Head on Snow Island in the South Shetland Island Group, Antarctica

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) adult and cub in snow. Monacobreen Glacier, Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) adult and cub hunting, Monacobreen Glacier, Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

Mother polar bear (Ursus maritimus) with two coy (cubs-of-year) on multi-year ice floes in the Barents Sea off the eastern side of Heleysundet in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

Adult brown bear (Ursus arctos) sow with 4 COY (cubs-of-the-year) at the Brooks River in Katmai National Park near Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA. Pacific Ocean

Adult sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) mother and pup in Inian Pass, Southeastern Alaska, USA. Pacific Ocean

Adelie penguin chick (Pygoscelis adeliae) fledging its downy feathers for the adult feathers underneath on Devil Island, Antarctica.

Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) chicks covered with mud and guano on Cuverville Island, Antarctica, Southern Ocean

An adult coyote feeding on the carcass of a X(gray whale calf). Isla Tiburon, Mexico. S(Mexico (Pacific))S(stranding)S(coyote)S(AW)S(feeding)

California gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) calf with excited whale watchers in San Ignacio Lagoon, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Yellowtail Damselfish (Microspathodon chrysurus), Intermediate stage from juvenile to adult showing irridescent blue spots on body, Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands, Caribbean

Adult Antarctic Shag, (Phalacrocorax (atriceps) bransfieldensis) from breeding colony on the Antarctic Peninsula

Adult California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) breaching in Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico

California gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) calf with excited whale watchers in San Ignacio Lagoon on the Pacific side of the Baja Peninsula, Baja California Sur, Mexico

King penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) breeding and nesting colony on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean.

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) adult and cub swimming. Monacobreen Glacier, Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

Adult sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) mother and pup in Inian Pass, Southeastern Alaska, USA. Pacific Ocean

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) adult and cub hunting, Monacobreen Glacier, Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

Mother brown bear (Ursus arctos) foraging for sockeye salmon with two year-old cub at the Brooks River in Katmai National Park near Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA. Pacific Ocean

Pacific humpback whale adult and calf, Megaptera novaeangliae, underwater in the Au Au Channel, Maui, Hawaii.

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) adult and cub swimming. Monacobreen Glacier, Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

Grave site at the abandoned former whaling station at Port Foster inside of the caldera at Deception Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica, Southern Ocean

Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) parent feeding downy chick on Pleneau Island, near the Antarctic Peninsula.

Adult gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) trying to avoid hungry chick in Antarctica

Adult brown bear (Ursus arctos) foraging for salmon at the Brooks River in Katmai National Park near Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA, Pacific Ocean

A mother and nursing newborn pup leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) hauled out on ice floes, Antarctica.

Pregnant female southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) giving birth on the beach near the abandoned whaling station at Stromness Bay on South Georgia Island in the Southern Ocean

Mother and baby Plains Zebra (Equus quagga, formerly Equus burchelli). Young Zebra is inquisitive but stays close to mother. Kagera National Park, Rwanda, East Africa

Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris Tigris), wild, adult male, critically endangered. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, India

Yellow boxfish (Ostracion cubicus) Juvenile animal swimming about coral reef. Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. More info: This species incorporates tetrodotoxin within its tissues.

Ornate ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus) Juvenile fish floating over volcanic sand. Komodo, Indonesia, Pacific Ocean.

Wild Adult Female and Baby Orangutans (Pongo Pygmaeus). Endangered. Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia

King Penguin (Aptenodytes Patagonicus) protecting its chick. Sandy Bay, Macquarie Island, Subantarctic Australia.

Southern Right Whale (Eubalaena australis). Mother and albino calf. The Cape, South Africa

When the shed skin nears the tail, the newly formed chrysalis begins to shake very vigorously until the skin falls to the ground, then it settles down to form the butterfly within. The shape of the wings, anttenae and eyes can already be clearly seen. The process completes in seven to ten days. . Isle of White, UK. Isle of White, UK

Painted lady caterpillar shortly before changing to chrysalis. It hangs itself upside down in this hooked position for around 24 hours. It continues to move throughout the 24 hours in gentle changes of position. . Isle of White, UK. Isle of White, UK

Raccoon Family, Procyon lotor, Raccoons, Everglades, Florida

This new born calf with its mother graceful glide together as the mother protects her calf and the calf learns essential behaviour to survive the open ocean. taken in Vava'u Tonga South Pacific

Humpback female and her calf Vava'u Tonga in the South Pacific, shot with a fisheye lens

Captive Western gorilla, gorilla gorilla. Female and baby and adolescent in La Vallee Des singes, Poitou - Charentes France. More info: Status, critically endangered due to loss of habitat, hunting and infectious disease.

Adult California Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) breaching in Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Pregnant female southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) giving birth on the beach near the abandoned whaling station at Stromness Bay on South Georgia Island in the Southern Ocean

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) adults and cub hunting, Monacobreen Glacier, Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

Adult sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) mother and pup in Inian Pass, Southeastern Alaska, USA. Pacific Ocean

Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) chick head detail at colony on Useful Island near the Antarctic Peninsula. There are an estimated 2 million breeding pairs of chinstrap penguins in the Antarctic peninsula region alone, perhaps as many as 7.5 million breeding pairs in all of Antarctica. Their name derives from the narrow black band under their heads which makes it appear as if they are wearing black helmets, making them one of the most easily identified types of penguin. Other names for them are "Ringed Penguins", "Bearded Penguins", and "Stonecracker Penguins" due to their harsh call. They grow to 68 cm (27 in). The average adult weight of a Chinstrap Penguin is 4.5 kg (10 lbs). Weight can range from 3 to 6 kg (6.6-13.2 lbs), with males being slightly larger and weight varying based on where the penguin is in the breeding cycle. Their diet consists of krill, shrimp, and fish. On land they build circular nests from stones, and lay two eggs, which are incubated by both the male and the female for shifts of five to ten days. They can also breed on icebergs, though they prefer non-icy conditions. The chicks hatch after about 35 days, and have fluffy gray backs and white fronts. The chicks stay in the nest for 20?30 days before they go to join a creche. At around 50?60 days old, they moult, gaining their adult plumage and go to sea. The Chinstrap Penguin was first described by German naturalist Forster in 1781. Its specific epithet was often seen as antarctica, however a 2002 review determined the genus Pygoscelis was masculine, and hence the correct binomial name is Pygoscelis antarcticus.

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) cow and calf, underwater, Tonga, South Pacific

Adult sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) mother and pup in Inian Pass, Southeastern Alaska, USA. Pacific Ocean

A mother and newborn pup leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx) hauled out on ice floes on the western side of the Antarctic peninsula, Southern Ocean

Mother and cub brown bear (Ursus arctos) walking the beach at the Brooks River in Katmai National Park near Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA. Pacific Ocean

Antarctic Fur Seal pup, Arctocephalus gazella, yawning, South Georgia, South Atlantic Ocean.