A northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) flies through a redwood forest in northern California. The critically endangered species is native to old-growth cloud forests of the Canadian province of British Columbia, as well as more U.S. states including Washington and Oregon.
Spotted feeding on a drowned bison in Yellowstone National Park, the grey wolf (Canis lupus) was once almost hunted to extinction in the lower 48 U.S. states. A reintroduction effort to parts of the U.S. West in the 1990s has helped some of the population recover.
A mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) walks a picturesque game trail above the Buffalo Fork River near Grand Teton National Park. Indigenous to western North America, mule deer are named for their large, mule-like ears.
A grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) is pictured in Wyoming. Grizzlies once lived in much of western North America and even roamed the Great Plains.
Caught in the act, a grizzly reaches for fruit in the branches of an apple tree in Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park. Despite being top predators, the mammals consume nuts, berries, and fruit as part of their diet.
A chimpanzee (Pan troglodyte) lingers on a branch over the Sakoto Pool in Senegal. Chimps are adept at moving on all fours, but like to swing from branch to branch and do most of their eating and sleeping up in the trees.<
Ruppell’s griffon vultures (Gyps rueppellii) and African white-backed vultures (Gyps africanus) devour a carcass in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. These vultures serve important roles as recyclers in the sub-Saharan ecosystem, but are critically endangered by poaching, poisoning, and urban development.
An Emin’s giant pouched rat (Cricetomys emini) is pictured on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. These rodents have an exceptional sense of smell, making them surprisingly good at sniffing out TNT in abandoned landmines.
Purely nocturnal, an aardvark (Orycteropus afer) is spotted emerging from its burrow in Luangwa Valley, Zambia. The aardvark’s physical features, including a long snout and spade-like claws, make it successful at digging and foraging for termites.
A closeup of the warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) from Luangwa Valley, Zambia, reveals features typical to the species: sharp tusks, flat heads, and sparse manes. An adaptable animal, warthogs can often be seen rolling about in the mud for relief from heat and insects.
An African forest elephant (Loxodonta africana), the largest land animal on Earth, bathes in Gabon’s Loango National Park. Elephants love spending time in the water to get away from the heat, using their trunks to spray water and protective coatings of dust over their bodies.
One of the rarest tree kangaroo species, a Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) is photographed perched on a tree in New Guinea’s Foja Mountains. Habitat loss is driving this species to the brink of extinction.
A camera trap captures the image of a bloodied Indian one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Kaziranga National Park, India. Though massive, the rhino is surprisingly nimble and speedy when necessary––their charges have been timed at 30 miles per hour.
Two Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) cubs play at a waterhole in Bandhavgarh National Park, India. Cubs leave their mothers at 18 months of age, when they’re old enough to hunt and establish dominance over their own territories.
Evolved for hunting in tall marsh grass, the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)— photographed in Pantanal, Brazil—possesses impressively long legs. Maned wolves hunt solo and use their distinctive urine to mark their territory.
A linsang (Poiana richardsonii) emerges into the night to hunt on Equatorial Guinea’s Bioko Island. These cat-like carnivores usually weigh less than two pounds.
A baby mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) takes a leisurely stroll at Eagle Pass, the southeastern side of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming.
A remote camera briefly captures the tail of a West African crocodile (Crocodylus suchus) as it enters its den by the murky Salamat River in Chad’s Zakouma National Park. The crocodile-rich river is also home to the larger Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus).