This is a collection of exceptional images from past years of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition - the most famous and prestigious event of its kind in the world.

Each portrait captures an intimate moment and reveals the character of both the individual and often the species itself.

Such images require both photographic skill and an intimacy with the subject that comes from spending long periods in the field. They have been taken by more than 50 award-winning photographers representing 20 countries.