Stunning images: Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

Images of sleeping seals and a dramatic encounter between a caiman crocodile and a jaguar have garnered significant acclaim in this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

The 60th edition of the competition received a record 59,228 entries from 117 countries, according to a press release from the Natural History Museum in London, the event's organizer.

Among the standout images is a shot of a stoat leaping through the air, described by scientists as a form of "dancing," though opinions on this interpretation vary.

The entries were judged based on creativity, originality, and technical excellence.

The competition featured images across several categories, including young photographers aged 10 and under, natural art, animals in their environment, underwater photography, and oceans.

Here are some of the images:

Image 1: Stoat leaping through the air, described by scientists as a dance, though opinions on this are divided.
Photographer: Jose Manuel Grandío

Image 2: Sleeping seals in the icy waters of Antarctica.
Photographer: Tamara Stubbs

Image 3: Frozen deer on a California forest floor in a wintry morning.
Photographer: Randy Robbins

Image 4: Jaguar biting a caiman crocodile.
Photographer: Ian Ford

Image 5: Lion and lioness mating in a Tanzanian reserve.
Photographer: William Fortescue

Image 6: Indian peafowls in a forest.
Photographer: Shreyovi Mehta

Winners will be announced on October 8, and an exhibition of 100 selected images will be held at the Natural History Museum in London starting October 11.