National Geographic Photo Contest 2011

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Many people pilgrimage to Uluru, but what is seen there often depends on where you've come from. (© Robert Spanring)

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Eruption of the Cordon del Caulle. (© Ricardo Mohr)

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Beluga whales in the arctic having fun. (© Dafna Ben Nun)

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This is a streetcar in New Orleans traveling back towards The Quarter on St. Charles Ave. I held the camera against the window sill, making sure to divide the image equally between the inside and the outside. (© Don Chamblee)

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This image captures almost 6 hours of climbing parties on Rainier going for the summit under starry skies. Wind shifts during the night would cause bands of smoke from fires 100 miles away on Mt Hood to pass over Rainier. This intermittent low-level haze caused the red glow seen in the sky and a Rainier that looks like it was almost painted on. Lights from Sunrise can be seen in the lower right of the frame. (© Chris Morin)

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Russia, polar region of West Siberia, Tazovsky peninsula. Reindeer breeding - one of the basic employment of indigenous population of this region. All earths, suitable for a pasture, are assigned to families of reindeer breeders or sovkhoz brigades. Reindeer graze freely and in search of reindeer lichen for a night can disperse on few kilometers. The foreman of shepherds examines herd on a pasture with the help of binocular. (© Dmitriy Nikonov)

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An adult male gelada rests in the early morning light after ascending the steep sleeping cliffs of the Simien Mountains, Ethiopia. This male won his right to mate by successfully deposing the old leader. Now he must defend his harem by tending to his females' needs and fighting off anxious bachelors waiting for their chance to become harem leader. (© Clay Wilton)

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An unexpected side-effect of the 2010 flooding in parts of Sindh, Pakistan, was that millions of spiders climbed up into the trees to escape the rising flood waters; because of the scale of the flooding and the fact that the water took so long to recede, many trees became cocooned in spiders webs. People in the area had never seen this phenomenon before, but they also reported that there were less mosquitos than they would have expected, given the amount of standing water that was left. Not being bitten by mosquitoes was one small blessing for people that had lost everything in the floods. (© Russell Watkins)

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Curious cormorants watch the start of the Gatorman part of the La Jolla Roughwater Swim. Athletes swim 3 miles from La Jolla Cove to Scripps Pier and back. (© Lee Sie)

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This place is very special to me. The fèllensee is placed at the bottom of the hundstei (dog stone). I know this might sound silly, but since my dog and I grew up just around the corner and the naming of the mountain, I chose this very calm lake as a final resting place for Spock (my dog) so he would have the biggest gravestone of all dogs out there. That morning we had a farewell ceremony for Spock. I took this picture and we summited the hundstei to his honor (which was a very emotional challenge). This picture of his resting place is now hanging in our kitchen to remember him. (© Nino Benninger)

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Copenhagen, The Gemini Towers, private residential building by the river. I had to wait about 2 hrs and hoped some residents would come in or out and kindly let me in. It was worth waiting coz this building its so unreal. (© Elena Baroni)

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Cage divers confront a great white shark. (© David Litchfield)

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Spark trails from cannon blast captured at the Moorpark Civil War reenactment, sponsored by the Moorpark Rotary Club. Soldiers manning the cannon were silhouetted due to a large light behind them shining down on the battlefield. The large flood light made it possible to also see the smoke from the cannon blasts. (© Robert Jensen)

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Snow Geese in flight. Kleinfeltersville, Pennsylvania. (© Charles Funk)

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The awesome power of a tornado displayed in Mapleton, Iowa April 11th, 2011. (© Timothy Wright)

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Yala National park of Sri Lanka is best known for leopards, but of course very difficult to get them in action. This is one of the well grown three cubs got excited and started jumping between branches. I got it against the light within fraction of a second. (© Lalith Ekanayake)

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Rare and endangered Australian Sea Lions (Neophoca cinerea) swim and play in the shallows of Hopkins Island, South Australia. (© Michael Patrick O'Neill )

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This a portrait that I took of my Grandfather. He was a photographer and I wanted to show all his wonderful old cameras and his life in an editorial styled portrait. He just turned 95 years old and still remembers how all his old camera's work. I shot this with my cannon 7d body,and Tamron 17-55mm zoom lens. The lighting is with a 1200w Pro photo 2 head kit with 2 medium soft boxes. As well I used a 580 ex2 canon speed lite and diffused it with a paper lantern that I made into a diffusion for my speed lite. I really love this picture and hope you like it as well. (© Christopher Bellezza)

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Death valley averages just 1.58 inches of rainfall a year. Yet somehow, in my first trip there in four years, we catch a storm. Not just a storm, an electrical storm. At sunset, of all times. This was the reward for years of trips gone awry, blank skies, drenching downpours, and for every other cause of failed photography endeavors. To me, this is an example of the best thing that can happen to a photographer. To be in the right place, at the right time - and to not mess it up too badly. (© Jeff Engelhardt)

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Within an ultra modern society Japan still maintains to hold traditions passed down from generation to generation making it one of the most beautiful and intriguing places in the world. The city of Gion in Kyoto is one of those places that you will walk into and forget about all the flashing lights the rest of Japan has to offer. Its brick paved streets holds some buildings that have been maintained like the old traditional Japan. If your lucky you will catch a glimpse of a beautiful geisha passing through the streets scurrying to her next appointment, make sure you have your camera ready. (© Clancy Lethbridge)

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This is a shot of one of the many thermal pools in Yellowstone National Park. (© Danielle Goldstein)

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An extraordinary display of spring frost covering everything in sight. This particular image of a frosted fence with a backdrop of a blue metal dumpster from a construction site was taken in late-March of 2011. (© Sara Worsham)

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After school fun at the river, in Laos. (© Danny Griffin)

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A male jawfish mouthbrooding eggs until they hatch. (© Steven Kovacs)

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This image was taken in wintertime in an arid area of the Canadian Rockies. Temperatures were below 30 degrees Celsius, yet because there was no snow fall the surface of the lake was uncovered allowing me to see and capture the bubbles (gas release from lake bed) that were trapped in the frozen waters. (© Emmanuel Coupe-Kalomiris )

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Flight of an Eagle owl Photo by Mark Bridger A large adult eagle owl in flight. (© Mark Bridger

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In a mud pool at the sea salt mines near Bourgas, Bulgaria locals gather. He applies the mud from the pool and then stands upright until it is dry only to take a dip in the nearby sea. Afterwards he gets a relaxing swim in the 30cm of water in the salt mine. (© Antoni Georgiev)

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One morning while on the Big Island of Hawaii, I was exploring my surroundings to see if I could find something to photograph. I almost went back inside when something on this huge palm tree leaf caught my eye. I stayed around and it was this little gecko, startled by my presence he was hidden between the ridges of the leaf. He would pop his head up periodically to check his surroundings; as soon as he saw I was still there he would hide again. We played this game for a while until I got the shot. (© Lorenzo Menendez)

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The weirdest market on planet earth must be the voodoo market in Lome,Togo. Thousands of dead animals are used for religious and health purposes. Freaky, frightening but also fascinating (© Jorgen Tharaldsen)

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My son, Jack, dune jumping. (© Betina La Plante)

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Every year around the month of October, Dubai experiences heavy fog due to the still-high humidity and the falling temperatures. With all the new high-rise buildings (including the tallest in the world, Burj Khalifa), this provides a great photographic opportunity. (© Catalin Marin)

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Bonobo Portrait, Jacksonville Zoo, Florida (© Graham McGeorge)

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Climbing the Harding Ice-field trail in the rain, has its rewards. I stopped to admire glacier, o nly to find an adult black bear eating in front of a glowing blue glacier. (© Colin McCrindle)

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Nathan Fletcher rides one of the biggest waves ever ridden at Teahupoo, in Tahiti. (© Ted Grambeau)

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Pinki Kundu,a 13 yrs old girl is suffering from a chronic disease & is being treated in Mother Teresa TB Hospital in Kolkata. She is under CAT 1 drug therapy & is doing well.The day I photographed her she was very hopeful mood that she would be returning back to her parents soon. (© Saibal Gupta)

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A Rufous humming bird takes a much need break on a pine tree, boasting his beautifully bright chest. (© Cael Cook)

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At safari not only animals can attract attention. (© Dmitry Gorilovskiy

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The Himba Women of northern Namibia perfome daily rituals where by they annoint themselves with a mixture of ochre, oil and ash to protect themselves from the harsh desert climate. They never take a shower, but rather burn aromatic herbs in a pot each morning with which they smoke themselves as if applying perfume. (© Dominique Brand)

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Lone Tree Yellowstone Photo by Anita Erdmann A solitary tree surviving another harsh winter in Yellowstone National Park. (© Anita Erdmann)

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This lynx (Lynx Canadensis) flinches its ear at bothersome gnats in the late evening summer sun in Alaska. (© Jimmy Tohill)

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This photo was taken in the Upper Antelope Canyon near Page (AZ) and it shows the amazing effect of the sand thrown in the air and struck by the rays of the sun. (© Angiolo Manetti )

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A "joey" (baby) Eastern Grey Kangaroo pokes a head out from its mother's pouch. The baby kangaroo will continue to peek until if feels safe enough to emerge for short periods. After 7 to 10 months it will leave the pouch for the last time. (© Brent Lukey)

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Morning light breaking through the windows of the 'Temple of Transition' during the Burning Man event 2011. (© Lars Tiemann)

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The sun gives us energy, even when underwater. This image was captured during free diving (diving on a single breath without scuba gear) in the Red Sea. (© Vaclav Krpelik)

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I have been trying to follow a leopard with cubs for the last year, and spend a lot of nights with them. She has no tracking device, so when I find her I try to stay with her as long as possible. On this particular evening a brown hyena stole her kill (a springbok ) and was sitting on a rock ledge with the moon rising behind her. I lit her eyes up with a torch to make it a bit more mysterious. (© Hannes Lochner)

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Photo and caption by Brian Yen - Location: General Santos, Philippines

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Photo and caption by Gary Altman Many Ibis perch on docked boats in Biscayne Bay early each morning. I was fortunate to capture sunrise behind these two birds in silhouette. Location: Biscayne Bay, Florida

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Photo and caption by Peter Levine The zebras really stick together. These two used their friend to rest their heads while they watched us. Location: Okavanga Delta, Botswana

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Photo and caption by Alexey Kharitonov July night in North Karelia, Russia. Small nameless island in the midst of Engozero lake. Location: Engozero lake, Republic of Karelia, Russia

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Photo and caption by Alexey Kharitonov Early morning at Lac Blanc, Alps, France. View of the Mont Blanc mountain range. Location: Lac Balnc lake, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Alps, France

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Photo and caption by brian mooney - This photo was taken with my coolpix nikon p100,of the king of the jungle. Location: Mendon,Ma.

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Photo and caption by Hossam Sadek Great Blue-Heron Building the nest one branch at a time! Location: Venice Rookery, Venice, Florida

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Photo and caption by Syaza Mohammed Shakharulain A lovely portrait of my cousin. The bright yellow color exuberates her fun personality Location: Kedah, Malaysia

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Photo and caption by Lina Gunawan - It was Waisak day - Budhism celebration in the Borobudur temple. There were many monks coming from all over the world to celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha Siddharta Gautama. To see one particular monk busy taking photos while the rest of them listen attentively to the prayer was an anomaly view.. - Location: Borobudur temple - Yogyakarta Indonesia

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Photo and caption by Sue Frame - This picture was taken in Jakmel, Haiti on November 1st 2010. This was the first Fet Gede or Day of the Dead celebration after the earthquake. I was visiting Jakmel, after surviving the earthquake, to honor my friend who had died and heal from my wounds. Jakmel is the arts capital of Haiti so the night was full of gallery openings, music and dance. I was watching a dance performance when a group of men came running, singing and dancing down the street. One was beating out a rhythm on a marching band drum. We all ran out to watch the procession and they stopped to dance with us. - Location: Jakmel, Haiti

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Photo and caption by William Jurgelski A Bactrian canel nuzzling its five day old calf. There are only about 300 Bactrian camels in North America. White camels are very rare. Bactrian camels are attentive and affectionate parents. The young continue to nurse for about one year. Location: Burkes Garden, Virginia USA

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Photo and caption by Suzan Meldonian Banded Jawfish with eggs (opistognathus macrognathus). The next generation in the making occurs in the mouth of the male. It's such a strange phenomena, but when you consider that life in the sea and the hazards every animal is faced with to survive, keeping the eggs on hand until they grow up to have tails and fins, almost begins to make sense. But. . . eating has to be a real challenge! Location: Blue Heron Bridge, Lake Worth, FL

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Photo and caption by Deirdre Flood - Princess of the Parade during Fiestas de Guápulo in Quito, Ecuador Location: Quito, Ecuador

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Photo and caption by Daniel Sands A young gorilla embraced by his mother. Location: Washington National Zoo, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C.

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Photo and caption by Maulindu Chatterjee - A camel trader I met at the annual cattle trading fair at Pushkar, Rajasthan, India. He posed, reviewed the image in my camera and nodded. - Location: Pushkar, Rajasthan, India

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Photo and caption by Alexandros Karachalios This photo was taken in Havana, Cuba. When I saw this old woman I could not resist photographing her face! Her wrinkles, the way she smoked her cigar and the flower easily caught my eye. Location: Havana, Cuba

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Photo and caption by shikhei goh - This photo was taken when I was taking photos of other insects as I normally did during macro photo hunting. i wasnt actually aware of this dragonfly since i was occupied with other objects. When I was about to take picture of it, it suddenly rained but lighting was just superb. I decided to take the shot regardless of the rain which caused my Eos 7D and 100/2.8 L Macro to get wet. The result had caused me to be overjoyed and hope it pleases the viewers. Location: Batam, Riau Islands, Indonesia

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Photo and caption by Jennifer Beamish A new Carousel is made for those who are in their childhood and want to remember their special childhood of going to a amusement park and always wanting to ride upon. - Jen Beamish J.L.B. Location: Detroit, Michigan

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Photo and caption by Jennifer Beamish Walking threw a butterfly garden this Blue Morpho Butterfly landed long enough for me to capture its beauty on camera. - Jen Beamish - Location: Detroit, Michigan

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Photo and caption by Lea Foster I have many perennial gardens and captured this hoverfly pollinating one of my False Sunflowers. Location: in my perennial garden in Lafayette, Indiana

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Photo and caption by paula durham - Jabulani the elephant greeting his caretaker, Stavros Chakoma, before heading out on safari. Kapama Game Reserve, Kruger region of South Africa

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Photo and caption by Dale Connolly Across the large colony, most of the pairs of Gentoo penguin chicks had their head tucked under the mother, looking like a pair of grey fluffy slippers, while others were feeding. This pair however were lounging around and appeared to be hugging. photo location Brown Bluff, Antarctic Peninsula

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Photo and caption by Rostislav Mashine A curious gull from the Zabaikalsky National Park, Baikal lake. photo location Russian Federation, Zabaikalsky National Park, Baikal lake.

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Photo and caption by Matas Juras - Winter is extremely beautiful in Lithuania. It was an early morning and minus 25 degrees Celsius outside. This landscape feels out of this world, but in fact it's in the outskirts of my home city, Kaunas—just a mile away from my house. Oftentimes beauty lies just a step away from our door :) Location: Kaunas, Lithuania

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Red Maple Photo and caption by jim gray The sun was getting low and this anhinga was settling in for the night. Because I was looking into the sun, I had to wait for clouds to soften the skies in the background. One of the largest stands of red maples in Florida is found at Sawgrass Lake, and the emerging red buds provided contrast with the "water turkey." Because the bird was in breeding plumage, the normally mundane looking anhinga on a cloudy winter afternoon provided a captivating image... photo location Sawgrass Lake Park, city of St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida, USA

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Snowy Owl On The Hunt Photo and caption by Barbara Fleming It was a cold winter's day when a Snowy Owl flew low over the frozen prairie hunting for field mice and rabbits. As he hovered near me before his final assault, I was able to capture this shot. It had been over seventy years since our county had a Snowy Owl winter here and I was delighted with the magical photographic opportunities. photo location El Paso County, Colorado, USA

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Spying Monkey Photo and caption by alexandra novitske Buddhist devotees and tourists aren't the only guests at a temple in Katmandu. This guy was hiding and waiting for his next chance to snag a treat off an unsuspecting passerby. photo location Katmandu, Nepal

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Looking cool Photo and caption by Erik Mandre A wintertime can be very difficult for Roe Deer`s, especially when there is a lot of snow as it has been here in Estonia for two past winters. Unfortunately Roe Deer`s population in Estonia has decresed significantly due to those harsh winters. This young Roe Buck still looks healthy and it was heartbreaking to see how he enjoyed those dried plant stems which ranged from a thick layer of snow. For a moment Roe Buck looked very cool with a stem in its mouth. I observed this animal about two hours lying in the snow, so as not to attract his attention to me, which would scare him away. photo location Estonia, Harju County

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Love of Parents Photo and caption by Claus Possberg The emperor penguins fight for survival and to protect their only baby in the frozen Antarctic ice desert. photo location Antarctica: Atka Bay, Weddell Sea

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Lion/crocodile interaction Photo and caption by anthony Goldman A crocodile encountered a lion cub of the Cheema pride at a buffalo kill that the lions were eating on for 2 days and attacked the cub.The 3 lionesses of the pride came to the rescue of the cub and a fight between the lionesses and the crocodile then took place with the lionesses surprisingly over powering the crocodile and killing it !! photo location Duba Plains, Okavango Delta,Botswana,Africalake.

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Smooth Billed Anis, Yasuni National Park, Ecuador Photo and caption by Rebecca Yale During a very early morning boat ride along the Napo River, a section of the Amazon in Yasuni National Park, Ecuador, I watched this group of smooth billed anis huddle together for warmth in the early morning breeze. Once the sun rises the birds separate, but in the early morning hours it is fun to witness this beautiful display of community. photo location Yasuni National Park, Ecuador

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A Stolen Moment Photo and caption by Mitchell Krog photo location Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

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Noni Nectar for Green Gecko Photo and caption by Chandra Sherin Madagascar Gold Dust Day Gecko licking nectar from a young noni fruit in Kailua, Hawaii. photo location Kona Village Resort, Kailua - Kona, Hawaii

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Photo and caption by Mohammed Alnaser - photo location Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, South Africa - A young male leopard who was stalking almost everything around it when we saw it. The guide told me he was inexperienced which was really clear when it tried stalking a hyena that was twice bigger which could have cost this young leopard it's life.

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A presentation by Nubia Nubia_group@yahoo.fr http://nubiagroup-powerpoint-collection.blogspot.com/