National Geographic reveals winners of 2017 photo competition

NATIONAL Geographic has revealed the best nature photos of 2017 and the winner of the grand prize encapsulates a heartbreaking story.

THE winners of National Geographic’s annual Nature Photographer of the Year contest have been announced.

The competition — divided into the categories wildlife, aerials, landscapes and underwater — included some truly stunning images, many of which are available to download as a desktop, tablet or mobile wallpaper on the publication’s website.

From nearly 2 million images, the team managed to pick its favourite 57 across all categories.

But if there’s one thing that springs to mind when you think of National Geographic, it’s wildlife photography.

Photographer Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan took out the $US7500 grand prize for his image of an orang-utan in Borneo, which perfectly captured the growing plight of the species due to human-caused environmental degradation of its habitat.

The critically endangered ape was snapped skulking behind a tree while crossing a river. Due to rampant palm oil cultivation in the region, the normally arboreal species has been forced into unusual behaviour, such as wading through crocodile-infested waters, in order to survive.

Below are some of the other finalists, and some of our favourites, from the wildlife category.

A male orang-utan peers from behind a tree while crossing a river in Borneo. Rampant palm oil cultivation threatens this critically endangered ape. Picture: Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

An aerial shot of a polar bear jumping across ice drifts in the Baffin area of Nunavut, Canada. Picture: Florian Ledoux / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

An adult Caribbean pink flamingo feeds a chick in Yucatán, Mexico. Both parents alternate feeding chicks, at first with a liquid baby food called crop milk, and then with regurgitated food. Picture: Alejandro Prieto / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

A Japanese macaque enjoys some grooming time. Picture: Lance McMillan / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

A great cormorant shows its impressive wingspan as it flies off. Picture: Bence Mate / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Painted dogs fee on a warthog they’ve caught. Picture: Erik Joosten / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

When all other bears are asleep for the winter, in a remote part of the Yukon, Canada, one mother has learned that the river in her territory does not freeze and the fish keep coming into late November. Covered in ice as her wet coat freezes in the -25C air temperatures, she raises her family in the most extreme of conditions. Picture: Andy S. / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

A freshly emerged downy emerald a few minutes before its first flight. Picture: Łukasz Prajzner / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Two grey herons spar as a white-tailed eagle looks on in Hungary. Picture: Bence Mate / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

A group of geladas in the Simien mountains, Ethiopian highlands. Picture: Alejandro Cupi / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

An Atlantic puffin on the remote nesting island of Machias Seal Island off the coast of Maine, US. Picture: Harry Collins / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Spawning salmon get one shot at passing on their genes, but many don’t make it past the jaws of hungry bears. Picture: Amy Gulick / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

As the only wild animals being herded in Sweden, once a year the reindeers of the different communities are gathered and separated by their owners and moved to better pastures for the winter. Since thousands of animals are gathered and then divided into handling facility sections, the process may take several days. Picture: Martin Olson / 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year