The Natural History Museum's annual must-see showcase of wildlife photography opens today. This year's selection includes over 100 images in 17 categories – best Instagram shot is not one of them.
The overall winner, Still Life in Oil by Daniel Beltrá of Spain, offers a heartbreaking scene of bedraggled pelicans coated in crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill. The champion in the junior category, Poland's Mateusz Piesiak, captured a much more cheering image of two oystercatchers jostling for a morsel.
Other categories include Behaviour: Mammals, Behaviour: Birds, Urban Wildlife, the Underwater World, and more. Sadly, there's no prize for 'Cutest Animal', surely a rare instance where dumbing down would be welcome.
Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2011 runs at the Natural History Museum until 11 March 2012. Adults £9, children/concessions £4.50.