Masked Bhutanese dancers, Bhutan

Traditional berber wedding, Douz Oasis, Tunisia, North Africa

Male black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) fighting on snow covered field, Finland

Lava lizard (Microlophus spp) courtship behavior in the Galapagos Islands Archipelago, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ecuador, South America

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) mating behavior on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) mating behavior on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Adult Imperial Shag (Phalacrocorax (atriceps) atriceps) returning to the colony with nesting material, 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 Carcass Island in the Falkland Islands

Black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) breeding colony on New Island in the Falkland Island.

Adult brown bear pair (Ursus arctos) exhibiting courtship behavior at Scidmore Cut in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, United States of America

Adult whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus), pair on nest near Lake Myvatn, Iceland

Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis Papua), performing a mating ritual in the Antarctic peninsula, Antarctica, Polar Regions

Northern giant petrels (Macronectes halli) fighting over the scavenging rights to a dead fur seal pup at St. Andrews Bay, South Georgia

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) mating behavior on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Adult Grey-headed Albatross (Thalassarche chrysostoma) courtship display at Elsehul, South Georgia

King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) in mating ritual, Volunteer Point, East Falkland, Falkland Islands, South Atlantic, South America

Blue Footed Booby (Sula nebouxii), a marine bird found in the Eastern Pacific whose unusual blue feet feature in courtship rituals, Galapagos, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ecuador, South America

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

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

Adult brown bears (Ursus arctos) courtship behaviour, Brooks River, Katmai National Park near Bristol Bay, Alaska, United States of America

Adult arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) male bringing female a fish, Spitsbergen Island in the Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

Aerial of cattle moving to a waterhole, Gerewol festival, courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people, Niger, West Africa, Africa

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) mating behavior on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) mating behavior on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) mating behavior on South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

Pilgrims at Pushkar Lake at sunrise, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India, South Asia, Asia

Aerial of cattle moving to a waterhole, Gerewol festival, courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people, Niger, West Africa, Africa

Aerial of cattle moving to a waterhole, Gerewol festival, courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people, Niger, West Africa, Africa

Tuaregs on their camels, Gerewol festival, courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people, Niger, West Africa, Africa

Tuaregs on camels, Gerewol festival, courtship ritual competition among the Wodaabe Fula people, Niger, West Africa, Africa

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

N month of november 7 days before full moon a sacred ceremony is held in various monasteries throughout himalayas by traditional healers known as amchis. They bring their precious herbs, minerals special animal glands to be blessed. A selected amount of herbs is placed in a copper vessel placed on monastery alter. 7 days amchis go through an elaborate potenization of these medicines through prayer other practices. Seen here is of amchis holding a dorje (sacred object used cutting through obscurations) which is lined from a vessel containing various herbs sitting on monastery alter to heart chakra. Chang tang nyee, ladakh, indi

A pair of Black guillemots bonding in Oban, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

Cuttlefishes (Sepia officinalis) Mating. Babbacombe, Torquay, South Devon, UK (RR)

Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) Courtship. Babbacombe, Torquay, South Devon, UK. (A4 only).

Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) Two in courtship, being photographed by diver. Babbacombe, Torquay, South Devon, UK (RR)

Offerings, in Wat Suan Dok, Chiang Mai, Thailand

A huge Lama figure is carried over the Plaza de Armas square in Qusco, parade of the Inti Raymi festival, winter solstice festival, important festival of the Inca, Qusco, Peru, South America

Elephants decorated with gold jewellery on the way to the temple, Hindu Pooram festival, Thrissur, Kerala, southern India, Asia

Pujaris sitting on elephants on the way to the temple, Hindu Pooram festival, Thrissur, Kerala, southern India, Asia

Pujaris standing on the backs of elephants, holding fans made of peacock feathers up in the air, Hindu Pooram festival, Thrissur, Kerala, southern India, Asia

Wedding planning with rings gift boxes

Priest with big sword sacrificing water buffalo, Hindu festival Dashain, Gorakhnath temple, Gorkha, Gorkha District, Nepal, Asia

Hindu temple festival with many elephants, Thrissur, Kerala, South India, India, Asia

Tusks of decorated elephants at temple festival, Thrissur, Kerala, South India, India, Asia

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus), courtship and welcoming ritual on return of mate, Helgoland, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, Europe

Old Town of Doha, Changing of the Guard, Qatar, Qatar, Asia

Old Town of Doha, Changing of the Guard, Qatar, Qatar, Asia

Old Town of Doha, Changing of the Guard, Qatar, Qatar, Asia

Old Town of Doha, Changing of the Guard, Qatar, Qatar, Asia

Close up photo of sacred elephant eye in Hindu temple

Black-browed albatross or black-browed mollymawk (Thalassarche melanophris), typical courtship and greeting behaviour. South America, Falkland Islands, January

Black-browed albatross or black-browed mollymawk (Thalassarche melanophris), typical courtship and greeting behaviour. South America, Falkland Islands, January

A Pair Of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) That Are Likely Mates Do A Bonding Ritual Of Flying Together And Touching Or Locking Talons Together And Then Tumbling Down Through The Air, South-Central Alaska, Alaska, United States Of America

Panorama of African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana) standing in the water playing with each other with their trunks and tusks, face to face, in Chobe National Park, Chobe, North-West, Botswana