Where the wild things are: It's no wonder these stunning images were picked as the winners of an animal photo contest

  • Winners in the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)'s fifth annual wildlife photography competition revealed
  •  Over 3000 entries from adult and junior photographers from across the world were submitted 
  • A fan-throated lizard, kingfisher hunting and polar bear family were subjects in the acclaimed selection 

By Naomi Leach For Mailonline

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An adorable baby baboon leans on a tyre in a South African street and a polar bear huddles against the chilly Canadian air with her cubs - these are just two of the stunning entries in the Zoological Society of London (ZSL)'s fifth annual wildlife photography competition.

These candid shots illustrating the vulnerability of creatures were shortlisted alongside dazzling images depicting raw animal instincts including a rhino roaring at sunset and a bird catching a fish.

But one of the winning photos, taken by Pratik Pradhan in the Chalkewadi plateau in India, of a fan throated lizard during breeding season, took a staggering three years to capture.

ZSL's director general, Ralph Armond said: 'Pratik's image shows a true dedication to celebrating the unique beauty of the natural world. With the world's wildlife populations having halved in the last 40 years, the need to raise awareness of and celebrate the wonders of the animal kingdom has never been more vital.'

Over 3000 entries from adult and junior photographers from across the world were submitted to six categories including Weird and Wonderful and Catch me if you can. TV presenter Kate Humble, photographer Levison Wood and ornithologist Bill Oddie were members of the panel of experts judging the awards.

MailOnline Travel has rounded up a selection of some of the striking entries, which are on display at ZSL London Zoo. 

This image, titled Ready Set Go, was the Judges' Choice and Weird and Wonderful category winner. Photographer Pradhan said: 'It was not easy to maintain a sharp focus on the lizard running towards me while keeping it at eye level - it took me three years to capture this image the way I wanted. They have a thin flap of skin between their throat and their abdomen, which they can flap and flash at will - normally these are whitish in colour but during the breeding season the males develop a wonderful colouration ranging from blue to black to red and orange'

This image, titled Ready Set Go, was the Judges' Choice and Weird and Wonderful category winner. Photographer Pradhan said: 'It was not easy to maintain a sharp focus on the lizard running towards me while keeping it at eye level - it took me three years to capture this image the way I wanted. They have a thin flap of skin between their throat and their abdomen, which they can flap and flash at will - normally these are whitish in colour but during the breeding season the males develop a wonderful colouration ranging from blue to black to red and orange'

Catch me if you can category winner: Called Flash of Azure, this image of common kingfisher mid-hunt was taken in Leeds

Catch me if you can category winner: Called Flash of Azure, this image of common kingfisher mid-hunt was taken in Leeds

At home in the habitat category winner: A polar bear family snuggles in this photo titled A touch of Warmth, taken in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada

At home in the habitat category winner: A polar bear family snuggles in this photo titled A touch of Warmth, taken in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada

Weird and Wonderful runner up: This image, Kingpin, was captured in Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, sub-Antarctic

Weird and Wonderful runner up: This image, Kingpin, was captured in Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, sub-Antarctic

City slicker: This shot of a baby baboon in South Africa was highly commended in the Urban City Life category

City slicker: This shot of a baby baboon in South Africa was highly commended in the Urban City Life category

Catching the sun: A hippo roaring at the sky near Gunotsoga village, Okavango delta, Botswana, was highly commended

Catching the sun: A hippo roaring at the sky near Gunotsoga village, Okavango delta, Botswana, was highly commended

Judges' Choice and junior winner: Entitled In-flight Fight, this striking image was taken on the Isle of May, Scotland

Judges' Choice and junior winner: Entitled In-flight Fight, this striking image was taken on the Isle of May, Scotland

The contest also awarded junior photographers.  This shot of a common frog taken in East Sussex was the winner of the Deep and Meaningful category

The contest also awarded junior photographers.  This shot of a common frog taken in East Sussex was the winner of the Deep and Meaningful category

Strategies for drinking: Macaque in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka, quench their thirst in this award-winning shot

Strategies for drinking: Macaque in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka, quench their thirst in this award-winning shot

Spread your wings and fly: A young shutterbug took this picture of a European eagle owl in Reading. It was a junior runner-up

Spread your wings and fly: A young shutterbug took this picture of a European eagle owl in Reading. It was a junior runner-up

A young photographer in Verdugo Mountains, California, snapped this ring necked snake and named it Underside Madness. The shot was a runner-up

A young photographer in Verdugo Mountains, California, snapped this ring necked snake and named it Underside Madness. The shot was a runner-up

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