Eric Baccega / Female Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) with infant on her back, drinking from a mountain stream. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Uganda, Africa

Will Burrard-Lucas / Lion (Panthera leo) mother with three cubs hiding under her feet, taken with remote camera. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. December

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Bassari woman carrying food on her head. Bassari country, east Senegal. This area became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012, for cultural landscape and traditions kept by the the Bassari, Fula and B...

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Bassari village huts and woman carrying bucket on her head. Bassari country, east Senegal. This area became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012, for cultural landscape and traditions kept by the the...

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Bassari woman carrying firewood on her head. Bassari country, east Senegal. This area became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012, for cultural landscape and traditions kept by the the Bassari, Fula a...

Mary McDonald / Leopard (Panthera pardus) mother playing with her cub. Seronera area, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Mary McDonald / Leopard (Panthera pardus) mother playing with her cub. Seronera area, Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Anup Shah / Thomson's gazelle {Gazella thomsoni} female charging at Jackal to defend her vulnerable fawn, Serengeti NP, Tanzania

Michael Pitts / Komodo dragon female on megapode mound (Varanus komodoensis) female uses these birds mounds for nesting site for her own eggs, Komodo Island, Indonesia

Michael Pitts / Komodo dragon female on megapode mound (Varanus komodoensis) female uses these birds mounds for nesting site for her own eggs, Komodo Island, Indonesia

Michael Pitts / Komodo dragon female on megapode mound (Varanus komodoensis) female uses these birds mounds for nesting site for her own eggs, Komodo Island, Indonesia

Staffan Widstrand / Thomson's gazelle {Gazella thomsoni} chases Golden jackal away from her fawn, Serengeti NP, Tanzania