One hundred award winning wildlife photographs are now on display in the Te Manawa Art Gallery. The images make up the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, on tour in New Zealand from the Natural History Museum in London.

Surveying the length and breadth of the natural world, the photographs capture striking and unusual animal behaviour, events from their everyday lives, and the environments in which they live. From the tiniest sea creatures to some of the largest land-dwellers, these photographs will surprise, delight and even challenge every visitor.

Some of the images take aim at the impact that humans have on animals and the environment, in the exhibition’s most confronting section which visitors can choose to view.

The Natural History Museum is the most visited museum of its kind in Europe. With so many people through its doors, it’s in a unique position to advocate for the environment and create awareness of the challenges it faces. This exhibition is a part of that, and Te Manawa hopes that visitors will come away from it with a new appreciation of the grandeur – and fragility – of the world around us.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year is a long-standing competition held by the Natural History Museum. It was inaugurated in 1965 by the BBC and attracted 361 entries; today that number is almost fifty thousand. The winning images of 2020 have been sent on an international tour, and residents of Manawatū can be among the million people who will see them before they return home.

Locals can also see how they measure up against the world’s best with the Manawatū Wildlife Photography Competition, open until 25 June. Click here for entry details.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is open daily in the Art Gallery from 10am to 5pm. Entry is by donation