Call of the wild

Now in its 55th year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious and sought after award for natural world photographers. Held every year in the amazing setting of the Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum, AP once again had the privilege of attending the gala dinner where all the winners were announced by TV presenter, naturalist and photographer Chris Packham.

As usual, the winners come from across the globe – more than 100 countries had participants this year. All of the winners were present on the night of 15 October to receive their awards, which for many will be a pinnacle and highlight of their photography career.

The judges had an extraordinary challenge on their hands to whittle down the 48,000-plus entries to the 100 that are displayed in the exhibition and featured in the accompanying book, never mind the added selection of the category and overall winners.

This year, the overall winner title went to photographer Yongqing Bao, for his remarkable image of a Tibetan fox pouncing on a startled marmot in the Qilian Mountains in China (right). Wildlife Photographer