Sascha Fonseca/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
German photographer Sascha Fonseca captured this image of a snow leopard in the mountains of Ladakh in northern India.
Auke-Florian Hiemstra/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Dutch photographer Auke-Florian Hiemstra shot this photo of a young perch fish trapped inside a discarded surgical glove in Leiden, Netherlands.
Bertie Gregory/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
British photographer Bertie Gregory took this image of a female gray wolf walking on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.
Brittany Crossman/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Two red foxes nuzzle on Prince Edward Island in Canada, photographed by Canadian Brittany Crossman.
Claudio Contreras Koob/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Caribbean flamingos in the Rio Lagartos Biosphere Reserve in Mexico, shot by Mexican photographer Claudio Contreras Koob.
Chloé Bès/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
A glaucous-winged gull waiting for returning fishermen in Hokkaido island in Japan, shot by French photographer Chloé Bès.

Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Spanish photographer Eduardo Blanco Mendizabal took this photo of a gecko on a wall covered in a graffiti cat in his hometown of Corella.
Sam Rowley/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
British photographer Sam Rowley captured this image of a spotted hyena in Harar, Ethiopia.
Deena Sveinsson/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
A snowshoe hare photographed by US photographer Deena Sveinsson in the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.
Eladio Fernandez/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Fishermen try to catch glass eels in the Dominican Republic, shot by Dominican photographer Eladio Fernandez.
Igor Altuna/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Spanish photographer Igor Altuna shot this image of a leopard carrying a dead Kinda baboon in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park.
Jaime Culebras/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Spanish photographer Jaime Culebras got this shot of a Mindo glass frog in the Río Manduriacu Reserve in northwest Ecuador.
Sebastian Kennerknecht/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
This stuffed Andean cat was photographed by US photographer Sebastian Kennerknecht in Abra Granada, Argentina.
Jodi Frediani/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
US photographer Jodi Frediani photographed these northern right whale dolphins in Monterey Bay in California.
Marina Cano/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Spanish photographer Marina Cano took this image of a male lion named Olobor in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Martin Gregus/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Canadian photographer Martin Gregus took this shot of a polar bear cub playing in fireweed on the coast of Hudson Bay in Canada.
Michał Michlewicz/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
A domestic cat is pictured with a chaffinch it has caught in this image by Polish photographer Michał Michlewicz, taken in Radolinek, a small village in western Poland.
Minqiang Lu/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Golden snub-nosed monkeys huddle together in this photo by Chinese photographer Minqiang Lu, taken in the Qinling Mountains in China's Shaanxi province.
Miquel Angel Artús Illana/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Spanish photographer Miquel Angel Artús Illana captured this image of two female muskoxen attacking each other in Norway's Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park.
Simon Withyman/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
British photographer Simon Withyman took this photo of a young red fox injured by plastic barrier netting in Bristol, England.
Nicholas More/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
British photographer Nicholas More captured this image of a male Bargibant's seahorse off the coast of Bali in Indonesia.
Richard Flack/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
South African photographer Richard Flack took this photo of crested guineafowl as one scratched the other's head and ear, captured in South Africa's Kruger National Park.
Roberto García-Roa/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Spanish photographer Roberto García-Roa captured a moment of combat between a pompilid wasp and an ornate Ctenus spider in Tambopata, Peru.
Sebastian Kennerknecht/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
US photographer Sebastian Kennerknecht took this photo of the elusive African golden cat in Uganda's Kibale National Park.
Sami Vartiainen/Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Finnish photographer Sami Vartiainen took this photo of a badger in a forest near Helsinki.
CNN  — 

A playful polar bear cub, two nuzzling red foxes and golden snub-nosed monkeys huddled together are among the shortlisted images for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award 2022.

The pictures “spotlight important stories of nature from across the globe” and were chosen from 38,575 entries across 93 countries, according to a news release from London’s Natural History Museum, which runs the annual competition.

Through powerful photography, the museum hopes to inspire people to engage with nature and help to protect the planet.

Some photos in the shortlist highlight the threats to wildlife, such as one taken by Eladio Fernandez of fishermen in the Dominican Republic catching endangered glass eels during the night.

Another of golden snub-nosed monkeys huddling together in extreme winter cold in China raises awareness of the endangered species threatened by deforestation.

Incredible images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 as winners crowned

Dutch photographer Auke-Florian Hiemstra was shortlisted for his image showing a fish trapped in a discarded rubber glove, found in the canals of Leiden.

“The photo confronts us with our throw-away society,” Hiemstra told CNN on Wednesday. “I would like to dedicate this photo to all our clean-up volunteers and litter pickers worldwide, who try to prevent the impact of plastic on our wildlife.”

“Humanity is addicted to plastic, but animals have to face the consequences,” he added. “Hopefully, the image makes people think about their own behavior.”

Stunning images from African Wildlife Foundation's photography award are inspiring conservation

Members of the public can vote for their favorite of the 25 images using interactive screens at an exhibition at the museum. The top five will be displayed online, alongside category winners from the competition that were chosen by judges and announced earlier this year.

“Voters will have a challenge to choose from this stunning range of photographs which tell vital stories and connect people to issues across the planet,” said Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, in the news release.

Voting is open until February 2 and the winner will be part of an exhibition that closes on July 2.