PICTURES: World Animal Day was actually on October 4th, but events celebrating the day across many countries go on until November. We’re marking the occasion by bringing you a selection of award-winning photographs from the last 12 months.

From pet picnics to beach cleans, groups across the world mark World Animal Day in many different ways, but all with the aim of increasing awareness of animal wellbeing and protection. The day itself is credited to Heinrich Zimmerman, a writer and publisher of the magazine Mensch und Hund (“Man and Dog”) who was born in Warsaw, Poland, before moving to Berlin, Germany. October 4th was chosen as it is the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the natural world including animals.

‘The Embrace’ by Sergey Gorshkov

Wildlife Photographer of the Year | Adult Grand Title Winner 2020

Sergey scoured the forest for signs of Amur, or Siberian, tigers, searching for the best place to set up his camera trap. He knew his chance of photographing one was slim, but his mind was made up. ‘From then on, I could think of nothing else,’ Sergey says. After 10 months, his dedication paid off: he captured a rare glimpse of this magnificent tiger in its wild habitat.

These solitary cats exchange vital information, such as the need for mates, by leaving scent, hairs, urine and other markers on prominent spots, including tree trunks. In the far east of Russia, a population of around 500 Amur tigers persists, occupying a fragment of its former land. Under threat from habitat loss and poaching, these tigers are close to extinction.

‘The Fox That Got the Goose’ by Liina Heikkinen

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2020 | Young Grand Title Winner 2020

Liina and her father spent the day at a fox hotspot on one of Helsinki’s islands. She watched as two adults came and went, delivering food to their ever-alert and relentlessly hungry cubs. When one brought home a barnacle goose, the cubs began to fight over it excitedly. Liina followed the ‘winner’ as it retreated to devour its prize.

Foxes are born in the spring and are similar to adult size by summer. At around four weeks old, they start to hunt insects and earthworms, but that isn’t enough to sustain them, so their parents provide mammals and birds. Foxes’ diets vary depending on their home: crabs, rabbits, fruit, birds and household waste are all potential food options.

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‘Terry the Turtle flipping the bird’ by Mark Fitzpatrick

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards | Overall Winner 2020

"I was swimming with this turtle at Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef when he flipped me the bird," said Fitzpatrick.

“It’s been amazing to see the reaction to my photo of Terry the Turtle flipping the bird, with Terry giving people a laugh in what has been a difficult year for many, as well as helping spread an important conservation message.

“Hopefully Terry the Turtle can encourage more people to take a moment and think about how much our incredible wildlife depend on us and what we can do to help them. Flippers crossed that this award puts Terry in a better mood the next time I see him at Lady Elliot Island!”

‘Last Dawn, Last Breath’ by Pasquale Vassallo

Underwater photographer of the year 2020 | Marine conservation category winner

“As the fishermen quickly hauled on the nets, I tried to take some shots of trapped fish still suffering in the mesh, such as this tuna,” said Vassallo. The picture was taken in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the coast of Naples, Italy, and shows the final moments of a tuna (Euthynnus alletteratus).

‘A Monkey’s Mask’ by Jasper Doest

GDT European wildlife photographer of the year | Overall winner 2020

The photo originates from a traditional Japanese sake house north of Tokyo. After dinner, the tavern’s guests can watch Japanese macaques performing tricks with various props on a makeshift stage.

In the old days, the Japanese macaque, or snow monkey, was a sacred religious symbol, known to mediate between gods and humans. Today, the animal has been reduced to a secular scapegoat, a defaced outcast and target of mockery.

‘Hope in a Burned Forest’ by Jo-Anne McArthur

Nature Photographer of the Year 2020 | Man and nature category winner

An Eastern grey kangaroo and her joey who survived the forest fires in Mallacoota, Victoria. In December 2019 and January 2020, intense bushfires swept across Australia destroying 3,500 homes, killing 500 people and ravaging 18 million hectares of land including animal habitats. The non-human death toll is unimaginable, but the mother and joey pictured here were among the lucky ones to survive.

Andrew Gough is Media and Investigations Manager for Surge.

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