Flamingos, Vendicari wildlife oasis, Vendicari, Noto Valley, Sicily, Italy

Adult king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) returning from sea to the nesting colony at Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, Polar Regions

Adult Commerson's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii), surfacing in Stanley Harbor in the Falkland Islands, South America

Pregnant female southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) giving birth on the beach in Stromness Bay, South Georgia Island

Skuas (Catharacta antarctica) fight for the afterbirth of a southern elephant seal, South Georgia

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) pup, called weaners once their mothers stop nursing them, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Penguins walk by Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) pup, called a weaner, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) pup, called weaners once their mothers stop nursing, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Adult rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) at breeding and molting colony on New Island, Falkland Islands

Black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) breeding colony on Steeple Jason Island in the Falkland Islands

Black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) breeding colony on Steeple Jason Island in the Falkland Islands

Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) at a breeding and molting site in Estancia San Lorenzo, Argentina

Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) at a breeding and molting site in Estancia San Lorenzo, Argentina

Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) at a breeding and molting site in Estancia San Lorenzo, Argentina

Dead and dying pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) gathering after the spawn just outside of Sitka, Alaska, United States of America

Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) hauled out on submerged log in Misty Fjords National Monument, Southeast Alaska, United States of America

Adult Atlantin puffin (Fratercula arctica) during breeding season, Isfjardardjup, Westfjords region, Northwestern Iceland

Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus), hauled out on the pack-ice in between Iceland and Greenland in the Denmark Strait, Denmark

Bull southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Bull southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Adult bull southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) fighting for breeding grounds on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) pup, called weaners once their mothers stop nursing, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Young adult bull southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) holding young pup's head underwater trying to kill it, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Young adult bull southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) holding young pup's head underwater trying to kill it, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Sally Lightfoot Crab (Red Rock Crab) in the Galapagos Islands, UNESCO, Eucador

Adult brown bears (Ursus arctos) foraging for salmon at the Brooks River, Katmai National Park, Alaska, United States of America

Adult brown bears (Ursus arctos) foraging for salmon at the Brooks River, Katmai National Park, Alaska, United States of America

A school of big-eye jacks (Caranx sexfasciatus) above a coral reef in the Solomon Islands. This region is known for its healthy fish populations.

A pair of spotted eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari) swim over the deep, sandy seafloor near Cocos Island, Costa Rica. This remote, Pacific island is famous for its healthy fish and shark populations.

A spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) swims over the deep, sandy seafloor near Cocos Island, Costa Rica. This remote, Pacific island is famous for its healthy fish and shark populations.

A lone adult emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) on sea ice in the Gullet between Adelaide Island and the Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Female southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) with newborn pup on the beach in Stromness Bay, South Georgia Island

Female southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) with newborn pup on the beach in Stromness Bay, South Georgia Island

Bull southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) pup, called weaners once their mothers stop nursing, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Bull southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) pup, called weaners once their mothers stop nursing, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Adult bull southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) fighting for breeding grounds on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Northern (Steller) sea lions, (Eumetopias jubatus), hauled out on South Marble Island, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, United States of America

Adult sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in kelp bed in Inian Pass, Southeastern Alaska, United States of America

Adult brown bear (Ursus arctos) foraging for salmon at the Brooks River, Katmai National Park, Alaska, United States of America

Adult brown bear (Ursus arctos) scratching its back on tree, Brooks River, Katmai National Park, near Bristol Bay, Alaska, United States of America

View from Park Service platform where adult brown bears (Ursus arctos) forage for salmon, Katmai National Park, Alaska, United States of America

Adult brown bears (Ursus arctos) foraging for salmon at the Brooks River, Katmai National Park, Alaska, United States of America

Adult brown bear (Ursus arctos) foraging for salmon in the Brooks River, Katmai National Park, Alaska, United States of America

Adult male common eider ducks (Somateria mollissima) in breeding plumage in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

Northern giant petrels (Macronectes halli) fighting over the scavenging rights to a dead elephant seal pup at Royal Harbor, South Georgia

Adult brown bears (Ursus arctos) feeding on humpback whale carcass in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, United States of America

Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in the river Khwai, Okavango Delta, Botswana, Africa

Adult Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) grazing on tundra in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway, Arctic, Europe

Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica), ecstatic display at breeding colony at Half Moon Island, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Father and son by Qilin statue, Summer Palace, Beijing. China has a one child family policy to limit population.

Wearing tree bark cloth masks and skirts, dancers representing fish spirits are invited during the season of the peach palm harvest to drink the juice. it is a feast and ritual exchange: the host group offers the spirits large quantities of peach palm juice, smoked meat and fish, and shaman-blessed coca and snuff. the visitors are the costumed dancers impersonating animal spirits. people eat the meat and fish, animal spirits receive the fruits of peach palm, which are cultivated, harvested, and processed by humans. this exchange expresses the idea that people and animals depend on each other for survival and reproduction. vaupes basin, eastern colombia amazon, population: 600

The idea of the interconnectedness of all things is central to the tribal way of looking at the world. practical knowledge of the environment, of crops and medicines, of hunting and fishing, is a byproduct of it. the makuna believe that human beings, animals, and all of nature are parts of the same one. animals and fish live in their own communities, which are just like human communities, with their chiefs, their shamans, their dance houses, their songs, and their material possessions. when human peoples dance in this world, the shaman invites the animal people to dance in theirs. if humans do not dance and shamans do not offer spirit food to the animal people, the animals will die out and there will be no more game left in the world. for the makuna the radical disjunction so characteristic of western thought between nature and culture, men and animals, dissolves. eastern colombia amazon, vaupes region, population: 600

European Chub (Squalius or Leuciscus cephalus) shoal in the clear water of Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. MORE INFO: Chub traditionally inhabit more lowland waters in Croatia, but they have proliferated since being introduced to Plitvice Lakes, which are warmer than in the past due to climate change, and they have reduced native trout populations considerably by predating their eggs.

Adult Southern Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) in the Falkland Islands. This is the smallest yellow-crested, black-and-white penguin in the genus Eudyptes. It reaches a length of 45-58 cm (18-23 in) and typically weighs 2-3.4 kg (4.4-7.5 lb), although there are records of exceptionally large rockhoppers weighing 5 kg (11 lbs). Their common name refers to the fact that unlike many other penguins which negotiate obstacles by sliding on their bellies or by awkward climbing using their flipper-like wings as aid, Rockhoppers will try to jump over boulders and across cracks. This behavior is by no means unique to this species however - at least the other "crested" penguins of the genus Eudyptes hop around rocks too. Southern Rockhopper Penguins have a global population of roughly 1 million pairs, perhaps a bit more. About two-thirds of the global population belongs to E. c. chrysocome which breeds on the Falkland Islands and on islands off Argentina and southern Chile. The Southern Rockhopper Penguin is classified as Vulnerable species by the IUCN.

Village woman walking past wild population of Demoiselle cranes (Anthropoides virgo), Keechen, Rajasthan, India

Strawberry Poison Frog (Dendrobates pumilio), adult, Bastimentos National Park, Bocas del Toro, Panama. The strawberry poison frog or strawberry poison-dart frog (Oophaga pumilio or Dendrobates pumilio) is a species of small amphibian poison dart frog found in Central America. It is common throughout its range, which extends from eastern central Nicaragua through Costa Rica and northwestern Panama. The species is often found in humid lowlands and premontane forest, but large populations are also found in disturbed areas such as plantations. The strawberry poison frog is perhaps most famous for its widespread variation in coloration, comprising approximately 15���30 color morphs, most of which are presumed to be true-breeding. O. pumilio, while not the most poisonous of the dendrobatids, is the most toxic member of its genus. The species is most diverse in Panama with varieties in vivid shades of all red, orange, blue, yellow or green, green and yellow, white with red, orange or black and spotted varieties. The most colorful mix is found in Isla Bastimentos Marine National Park though not all in one place. Colors vary by location. A beach on the north side of the island is named after the species. Two of Southern Explorations' Panama tours visit red frog habitat. Both the eight-day Panama Adventure trip and eleven-day Panama Highlights trip spend time in Isla Bastimentos Marine National Park and the former also goes to Red Frog Beach. The red frog is not as poisonous as some of its cousins and is not a threat to humans. It subsists on a diet of ants that dine on poisonous plants, providing the red frog its protective skin toxin. Males attract females with a loud quick chirp. To hear the distinctive sound before you depart on your Panama tours, go to the University of Michigan Museum's biodiversity website (www.animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu.) After birth, the tadpoles climb aboard the mother who deposits them in different protected areas where she retu

African Elephant

Zebu carts near Tulear, Madagascar, Africa

Farmer plows rice field with zebus west of Antananarivo, highlands, Madagascar, Africa

Zebra cart, Bemaraha, Western Madagascar, Africa

Painted elephants and mahouts, Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, Asia

Girl with alpaca, Maca near Colca Canyon, Peru, South America

Girl with Alpaca, near Arequipa, Peru, South America

Woman and girl with llama and alpaca in Maca near Colca Canyon, Peru, South America

Children beating an octopus with sticks in order to make it edible, Jambiani, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa

Elephant loaded on a truck, Arattupuzha-Pooram festival, near Thrissur, Kerala, southern India, India, Asia

Bedouins with camels in the desert, Wadi Rum, Jordan, Middle East

Working elephant, Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), Guruvayoor, Kerala, South India, India, Asia

Camel caravan in the Libyan desert, Camels (Camelus dromedarius), Libya, Sahara, North Africa, Africa

Children beating an octopus with sticks in order to make it edible, Jambiani, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa

Elephant ride to Amber Palace, Rajasthan, northern India, Asia

Bushmen, San, near Andriesvale, Kalahari Desert, Northern Cape, South Africa, Africa

Tuareg man sitting beside his camel, Libya, North Africa

Children beating an octopus with sticks to make it edible, Jambiani, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa

Decorated elephants and Hindu priests, Pooram festival, Thrissur, Kerala, South India, India, Asia

Camel caravan in the Libyan desert, Camels (Camelus dromedarius), Libya, Sahara, North Africa, Africa

Elephant parade, near Sree Sastha Temple, Arattupuzha Pooram festival, near Thrissur, Kerala, South India, India, Asia

Woman and girl with llama and alpaca in Maca near Colca Canyon, Peru, South America

Camel rider being guided through the desert, Erg Chebbi, Merzouga, Morocco, North Africa

Camel rider being guided through the desert, Erg Chebbi, Merzouga, Morocco, North Africa

Large catch of sardines, Santa Fe, Sucre, Venezuela, South America

Typical fisherman with cormorants, Xingping, Guangxi, China, Asia

Local people near Huaraz, Peru, South America

Oxcart, La Digue Island, Seychelles, Indian Ocean, Africa

Oxcart, La Digue Island, Seychelles, Indian Ocean, Africa

Omani man in traditional dress, livestock or animal market at Nizwa, Hajar al Gharbi Mountains, Al Dakhliyah region, Sultanate of Oman, Arabia, Middle East

Omani men in traditional dress, livestock or animal market at Nizwa, Hajar al Gharbi Mountains, Al Dakhliyah region, Sultanate of Oman, Arabia, Middle East

Omani men in traditional dress, livestock or animal market at Nizwa, Hajar al Gharbi Mountains, Al Dakhliyah region, Sultanate of Oman, Arabia, Middle East

Theravada Buddhism, elephants and tourists, Buddhist monks watching parade, Elephant Festival, Ban Viengkeo, Hongsa, Xaignabouri Province, Sayaburi, Xayaburi or Sainyabuli, Laos, Southeast Asia, Asia

Decorated elephant, Mahout riding under sunshade, Elephant Festival Parade, Ban Viengkeo, Hongsa, Xaignabouri Province, Sayaburi, Xayaburi or Sainyabuli, Laos, Southeast Asia, Asia

Trading on the camel market of Nouakchott, Mauritania, northwestern Africa

Camel train, caravan, in the volcanic landscape of Hoggar, Ahaggar Mountains, Wilaya Tamanrasset, Algeria, Sahara, North Africa

Kazakhs eagle hunters on their way the to the Golden Eagle Festival, Bayan Oelgii, Altai Mountains, Mongolia, Asia

Tenge-il game, horseman catching flowers on the ground while galloping, Golden Eagle Festival, Bayan Oelgii, Altai Mountains, Mongolia, Asia

Kek Bar, game similar to the Buzkashi, horsemen competing for a goat skin, Golden Eagle Festival, Bayan Oelgii, Altai Mountains, Mongolia, Asia

Kek Bar, game similar to the Buzkashi, Horsemen competing for a goat skin, Golden Eagle Festival, Bayan Oelgii, Altai Mountains, Mongolia, Asia

Gaucho demonstrating his skills with his horse, San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, South America

Mounted police in front of the tower of the Islamic Cultural Centre FANAR, Souk Waqif, Doha, Qatar, Middle East