Our 10 Favorite Wildlife Images of 2024
December 20, 2024
Hippos
A Spectacular Concentration
These are hippos in Tanzania’s Katavi National Park, the 3rd largest park in the country, which marked its 50th anniversary in 2024. Katavi features well-developed Miombo Woodland and seasonally inundated pans—refuge for spectacular concentrations of hippos and buffalo.
Matschie's Tree kangaroos
Bronx Zoo Debut
Earlier this summer, a Matschie’s tree kangaroo and joey made their first appearance at the Bronx Zoo. The joey, which was born at the end of December 2023, emerged from its mother's pouch to make its public debut. This is the second of its species born at the Bronx Zoo and to this female since 2021.
Forest Elephant
Insatiable Curiousity
Forest elephants don't have names, but this is Pablo, a young adult male with an insatiable curiosity for humans. He regularly roams around Mondika, a gorilla research and habituation site in the heart of the Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo, and he was named by the team there. He comes to sniff the clothes drying along the river, or simply to observe the researchers who now know him very well. On this particular day, Pablo was attracted by the scent of cooking and wandered under a bush, wading along the banks of the river, which reflected the light of the falling sun onto him.
Sea Otters
Rescued Off the Coast of California
Two female Southern sea otters debuted at the New York Aquarium. Both adults were rescued off the coast of California at young ages and were deemed non-releasable as pups. They have been cared for at other Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited aquariums prior to arriving at the New York Aquarium, where they now reside in the Sea Cliffs exhibit. The New York Aquarium has provided a home for 11 rescued sea otters since 1991.
Tigers
On the Rise in Thailand
These are tigers photographed by camera traps in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM). There was a 250% increase in tiger numbers in WEFCOM over a 15-year period (from 2007 to 2023) from about 40 to more than 140. This remarkable success stands in stark contrast to the tiger’s fate elsewhere in Southeast Asia.
Cauca Guan
Biodiversity Summit
The cauca guan is native to Colombia where WCS Colombia supports its conservation. This year, Colombia hosted the bi-annual UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16) in the city of Cali. As a country, Colombia is one of the most biodiverse in the world and it served as an exceptional host, reminding us we need to make ‘Peace With Nature.’
Atlantic puffin
Pufflin Debut
An Atlantic puffin chick that hatched this summer has now been fully integrated with the rest of the colony in the Central Park Zoo Polar Zone. The Central Park Zoo is one of seven Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited institutions to exhibit Atlantic puffins. Breeding this species is important to the population's sustainability.
Andean bears
Rare Occurence
A male Andean bear cub with his/her mom at WCS's Queens Zoo. Three 5-month-old Andean bear cubs debuted at the zoo in June, marking a rare occurrence. Andean bears typically only have one or two cubs at a time.
Red Panda
Reopened
A red panda at the Prospect Park Zoo, which reopened to the public on May 25. It had been closed for 239 days due to flooding from Hurricane Ophelia, which hit on Sept. 29, 2023.
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North Atlantic Right Whale
Critically Endangered
A North Atlantic right whale by the Hudson Canyon, the largest submarine canyon along the US's Atlantic Coast located about 100 miles southeast of New York City. North Atlantic right whales are considered Critically Endangered and the WCS Ocean Giants Program does extensive research in the NY Bight to provide the science needed to protect this marine species in the area and their habitat. Learn how you can help protect canyon as a National Marine Sanctuary.
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