24 Endearing Photos of Animals Sleeping

30 April 2018

A female leopard basks in the afternoon sun in Mombo, Botswana.

Photograph by P. Warner, National Geographic Your Shot

"I caught this little guy dozing at the boat dock in Valdez, Alaska," writes Your Shot photographer Joianna Carson. "He seemed to be oblivious to everything that was going on around him."

Photograph by Joianna Carson, National Geographic Your Shot

Your Shot photographer Senthi Aathavan Sethiverl captured this moment between a baby monkey and its mother at the Katagamuwa Sanctuary in Sri Lanka.

Photograph by Senthi Aathavan Senthilverl, National Geographic Your Shot

An orphaned sloth takes a nap at the Jaguar Rescue Center in Costa Rica.

Photograph by Ignacio Canales, National Geographic Your Shot

A pair of tern chicks sleep side by side on the beach at Stump Pass State Park, Florida.

Photograph by Cheryl Arena (Molennor), National Geographic Your Shot

In the Indian Ocean, a group of more than 30 adult sperm whales are sleeping at a depth of 15 meters. They stand like this without moving for minutes or hours. All are females, and all the calfs are at the surface while parents are sleeping.

Photograph by Stephane Granzotto, National Geographic Your Shot

"I saw this teeny-tiny baby chameleon sleep-hanging on a plant, while walking back to my tent at night in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar," writes Your Shot photographer S.R. "Rather than blast the little guy with a flash, I used my headlamp to illuminate it and took this shot."

Photograph by S R., National Geographic Your Shot

An arctic fox sleeps in his den.

Photograph by Ashley Falls, National Geographic Your Shot

A pride of lions sleeps together in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.

Photograph by Ali Saifaldeen, National Geographic Your Shot

A slumbering leopard drapes itself across a tree branch.

Photograph by Sudhir Shivaram, National Geographic Your Shot

A polar bear gets some sleep before heading out onto the sea ice.

Photograph by M. Theo, National Geographic Your Shot

Japanese macaques take a rest in thermal hot springs in Nagano, Japan.

Photograph by Istvan Hernadi, National Geographic Your Shot

An owl catches a wink of sleep while taking in the early morning rays in Bangalore, India. "The raised leg gives the impression of a monk in meditation," observed Your Shot photographer Girish Prahalad.

Photograph by Girish Prahalad, National Geographic Your Shot

A pair of red foxes take a rest.

Photograph by Karl Adami, National Geographic Your Shot

A koala dozes in a tree in the suburbs of New South Wales, Australia.

Photograph by Farhad Vedad, National Geographic Your Shot

"Just a lovely sleeping seal," writes Your Shot photographer Vladimir Snegov.

Photograph by Vladimir Snegov, National Geographic Your Shot

"While travelling in Alaska I stopped at the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge and had the opportunity to watch the Grizzly bears playing the water. This one bear decided he needed a nap so he climbed up on this log, lay down and fell asleep," writes Your Shot photographer Carol Bock.

Photograph by Carol S Bock, National Geographic Your Shot

A gosling nestles under the wing of its mother along the shore of a pond in Alberta, Canada.

Photograph by Joe Chowaniec, National Geographic Your Shot

Cheetah cubs have a nap in Cape Town, South Africa.

Photograph by Taryn Paterson, National Geographic Your Shot

"These hippo have found the best way to sleep through the morning—cuddling!" writes Your Shot photographer John MacDonald. "With our boat passing close by, a couple of eyes were opened to check us out, but the cuddle remained."

Photograph by James Macdonald, National Geographic Your Shot

A fallow deer strikes a somnolent pose.

Photograph by Robert Csala, National Geographic Your Shot

A conspiracy of lemurs take a nap.

Photograph by Tonja H., National Geographic Your Shot

A king penguin rests on the beach of Volunteer Point in the Falkland Islands.

Photograph by National Geographic Your Shot

A fawn takes a midday rest in Waterton Park, Canada.

Photograph by Julia Melnyk, National Geographic Your Shot

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Animals