This lesser adjutant - a large wading bird of the stork family - is executing the perfect landing on a disused wooden pile. Because of its size, not all landings are perfect. Sometimes the bird may even fall into the river, breaking its leg. There are about five breeding pairs in this river location in West Malaysia, and six of the birds have broken legs Photograph: Vincent Foong/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
Common dolphins charging a 'ball' of bait during the sardine run off the east coast of South Africa Photograph: Alexander Safonov/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
A Cape gannet diving after fish during the sardine run off the east coast of South Africa Photograph: Alexander Safonov/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
A gathering of bald eagles in south Alaska Photograph: Ken Conger/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
On a hot summer day on a small island in Denmark, cows take a foot bath Photograph: Pia Herno/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
Amber collecting is an old custom along the Lithuanian coast of the Baltic Sea. Nowadays the custom is rare because the lack of large stones. If collectors are lucky, stones are sold at the local markets as ornaments. On this particular day, the old woman went home empty-handed Photograph: Motiejus Salkauskas/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
Petr captured this white ibis feeding on crabs along the shoreline of Cay Caulker Island near Belize Photograph: Petr Bambousek/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
A dead possum washed up on the side rocks of the raging rivers on the Haast Pass in New Zealand. Its fur has been saturated off and lies, clustered, in the puddles dripping around the mammal Photograph: Sony World Photography Awards 2009
Photograph: Sony World Photography Awards 2009
Starlings as they fly away from the wheel on central pier in Blackpool, UK Photograph: Yannick Dickson/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
Honeybees flying in the sunlight in the Negev region in southern Israel Photograph: Dan Balilty/AP/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
The Institute of Critical Zoologists' collection is made up of animal memorabilia and souvenirs that can be readily bought online, tourist trinket and gift shops. The whole collection is available for viewing and research at the museum Photograph: Renhui Zhao/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
A black and white image of African elephants in Amboseli National Park, Kenya Photograph: Federico Veronesi/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
A joey koala clutches a fake substitute mother at the Australian Wildlife hospital, the largest wildlife hospital in the world, on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia Photograph: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images/Sony World Photography Awards 2009
