Ann & Steve Toon / Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) with young, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape, South Africa, January.

Ann & Steve Toon / Meerkats (Suricata suricatta), Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Northern Cape, South Africa, January.

Ben Hall / Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) on rock with lava lizard sitting on its head, Galapagos Islands, May.

Will Burrard-Lucas / Three Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) pups waiting for their parents to return, Ethiopia.

Jack Dykinga / Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) chick nesting in Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea), Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona, USA, May.

Espen Bergersen / Stoat (Mustela erminea) in winter coat, Andoy, Norway

Markus Varesvuo / Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) female on frosty branches, Kuusamo, Finland April

Sven Zacek / Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) group in snow, looking at camera. Vorumaa, Estonia, December. Winner of the Animal stories portfolio in the Melvita Nature Images Awards competition 2014.

Will Burrard-Lucas / Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) portrait, Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana.

Will Burrard-Lucas / Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) male standing alert on hind legs, with babies around feet, Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana.

Will Burrard-Lucas / Meerkat (Suricata suricatta) standing alert on hind legs at sunset, Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana.

Erlend Haarberg / Stoat (Mustela erminea) in white winter coat, standing on hind legs, Vauldalen, Sor-Trondelag, Norway, April.