THE Natural History Museum of London has launched an invitation for the public to have its say in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition by voting for the winner of the People’s Choice Award from 25 extraordinary images. This year’s online voting, which is open now and will close Feb. 2, 2021, features everything from a ball-shaped frozen hare and a bat-loving woman to the sad demise of the last male northern white rhino left on the planet. It also includes images of two endangered Iberian lynx kittens making an abandoned hayloft their playground, a family of beavers seemingly involved in a marital conversation at their favorite feeding spot, a distinctive portrait of a Japanese warbonnet and a group of burrowing owls living in harmony with their human neighbors in Florida’s Ten Thousand Barrier Islands. While they may not be able to visit the Natural History Museum in person right now, fans of wildlife photography around the world can make their choice from the images that were shortlisted by the Natural History Museum’s judges from 50,000 image entries from professional and amateur photographers across the world. With the power to inspire curiosity and wonder, the images showcase wildlife photography as an art form, while challenging us to consider our place in the natural world, and our responsibility to protect it. The winner will be showcased in the popular Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at London’s Natural History Museum until July 4, 2021. The top five LUMIX People’s Choice Award images will also be displayed online, joining the winners of the 56th Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition that was announced earlier this year. “Using photography’s unique emotive power to engage and inspire audiences, the competition and exhibition shine a light on stories and species around the world and encourages a future of advocating for the planet,” the organization explains. The winner and top four highly commended images will be revealed Feb. 9. People can cast their vote at www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/peoples-choice. Here we share with readers a few images from the candidates. (SD-Agencies) | 