As far as we’re concerned, the Internet is pretty much fifty percent about pictures of animals — but not many of them are as stunning as these. Yesterday the 2012 Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide, announced its winners, some 100 images culled from a pool of 48,000 by an international panel of judges, and as always, we’re blown away by their choices. The photos debuted yesterday at London’s Natural History Museum and will be on exhibit there through March 2013, before going on a world tour. Click through to see ten of our favorite shots, and then be sure to head over to Natural History Museum’s website to see the rest.
Image credit: Vladimir Medvedev/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012
Image credit: Kim Wolhuter/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012
Image credit: Ole Jørgen Liodden/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012
Image credit: Grégoire Bouguereau/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012
Image credit: Paul Nicklen/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012
Image credit: Luciano Candisani/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012
Image credit: Paul Nicklen/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012
Image credit: Robert Zoehrer/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012
Image credit: Owen Hearn/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012
Image credit: Klaus Nigge/Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012