A definitive collection of the best animal photojournalism of the year. Enjoy.
The orphaned gorilla and his warden
Patrick Karabaranga, a warden at the Virunga National Park in Congo, sits with an orphaned mountain gorilla in the gorilla sanctuary.
Source: PHIL MOORE/ AFP/ Getty Images
The deer escaping a wild fire
A deer jumps through a fence along U.S. Highway 24 while escaping the Waldo Canyon Fire in June.
Source: Christian Murdock/Colorado Springs Gazette/MCT
The 10-day-old elephant in Sumatra
A ranger inspects a 10-day-old baby elephant at Sarah Deu conservation response unit in Indonesia. There are fewer than 3,000 Sumatran elephants remaining in the wild, a 50% drop since 1985.
Source: Chaideer Mahyuddin / AFP/ Getty Images
The cat cafe kiss
An employee kisses Dyushes, a Don Sphynx cat, at the "Cats Republic" art cafe in St. Petersburg, Russia. The cafe has an exhibition area, a library, and a hall where cats live. Visitors can pay $5-10 to play with the cats.
Image by Alexander Demianchuk / Reuters