Photography social network Agora’s latest contest focuses on the most incredible shots of animals from all around the globe. Baby monkeys, ferocious lions and a herd of elephants all feature in this special selection of highlights from the impressive photo contest.

“Photography is a powerful medium to generate empathy and a deeper understanding of the world surrounding us,” says Octavi Royo, founder of Agora. “Only one species living on Earth can choose what the future will look like, and that species is us!”

jjnmatt

Selected by public vote from nearly 14,000 submissions, the top prize went to Indonesian photographer Martin Rinting for his evocative shot of an iguana nestled among sunflowers. Rinting received US$1,000 for his winning photo.

Manny Librodo made the top five finalists with a gorgeous shot of a family of elephants. Taken at Thailand’s iconic Ban Ta Klang elephant village, Librodo says his photo hopes to highlight the elegance of these massive animals.

mannylibrodo

“The province of Surin is well-known for its elephants,” says Librodo. “Traveling to this province would be incomplete without a visit to the Ban Ta Klang Elephant village. I wanted to show how the elephants have become symbols of beauty, grace and elegance despite their gigantic size.”

Another highlight is an impeccably composed shot from Dutch photographer Ilaria Ronchi. Taken during a safari in Namibia, Ronchi says this was one of the biggest lion prides she had ever seen, encompassing around 30 animals including cubs, lionesses and two males.

freeilli

“You might think it’s really easy to spot animals, but it’s not,” says Ronchi. “It was truly a movie scene and especially my heart melted when I saw the lionesses walking towards us, aligning in the perfect composition. Lionesses are the core of the pride since they are responsible for hunting and raising the cubs.”

Take a look through our gallery at more highlights from this spectacular animal photography contest.

Source: Agora