The week in wildlife – in pictures

A European hare (Lepus europaeus) hops into a field near Reitwein, eastern Germany Photograph: Patrick Pleul/AFP/Getty Images

A bird inspects the ancient ruins of Leptis Magna, listed as a Unesco world heritage site, in the Libyan coastal city of Lebda on 15 2011. Photograph: Joseph Eid/AFP/Getty Images

A newborn pangolin tries to escape during a news conference at Thai customs in Bangkok. Staff found 175 of the animals hidden in a truck heading into Bangkok. Pangolins, or Manis Javanica, are endangered species native to south-east Asia. Some people believe their meat and blood can enhance virility Photograph: Damir Sagolj/Reuters

Oil-drenched northern Rockhopper penguins on Nightingale island, 20 miles from the main island of Tristan da Cunha in the south Pacific Photograph: Kent Kobersteen/National Geographic/Getty Images

A dead sea turtle is washed ashore in Waveland, Mississippi. Endangered turtles and dolphins were dying in high numbers last year as a result of the BP oil spill. This week marks the first anniversary of the environmental disaster, the worst in US history Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Bees swarm around a beehive during a press conference about the 'International bird airport' (Ornithoport) and the 'Bundesbienen' (Federal Bees) in the Art and Exhibition Centre of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn. As a location of arrival and departure, the Ornithoport wishes to attract birds and to be a meeting point for the 12 'Federal' bee colonies. Photograph: Henning Kaiser/EPA

A woman releases fishes into the lake in Yangon, Myanmar. Locals celebrating Burmese new year go to the pagoda, donate food, free birds or fishes and pay respect to the elderly Photograph: Nyein Chan Naing/EPA

Bluebells in bloom are a quintessential sight in the spring months: they are a sure sign the days are getting longer and warmer Photograph: Flickr

A saola pauses in the jungle of Vietnam. A new nature reserve in Quang Nam raises hope for the survival of the recently discovered and critically endangered antelope-like species, known locally as the Asian unicorn Photograph: AP

Greylag geese chicks strike a pose. Budding photographers and videographers thinking of showing off their skills can enter the British Wildlife Photograph Awards, which is open until 2 June Photograph: Mike Lane/BWP

An insect draws nectar from a flower in the new Australia Landscape installation at the British Museum in London, England. The landscape developed by Kew Gardens forms part of the Australia season on the museum's forecourt, and includes rare and unique plants from across the country. The exhibition runs until October 2011 Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

A ong-beaked ibis rummages for food scraps in a bin on Sydney's tourist precinct, Circular Quay. It's not yet Bodega Bay from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, but the animals are increasingly becoming a concern for Sydney residents, with large colonies stalking bins, flocks of native cockatoos chewing timber structures and miner birds creating lots of noise Photograph: Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images

Oil-smeared pelican eggs in a nest on Cat Island, home to hundreds of the species, as well as gulls and roseate spoonbills. The area has been impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Barataria Bay, just inside the the coast of Lousiana, US. The photo on the right, taken at the same spot a year after the accident, shows the island has significantly eroded and the marsh grass and mangrove trees that pelicans nest on decimated Photograph: Gerald Herbert/AP

A butterfly takes a break on a leaf at the newly opened butterfly house in Lodz zoo, Poland. The miniature jungle is the first of its kind in the city Photograph: Grzegorz Michalowski/EPA

Apple tree blossoms are silhouetted against the setting sun near Usti Nad Orlici, Czech Republic. Temperatures there peaked at 20C on Maundy Thursday Photograph: FILIP SINGER/EPA

The parched Allier riverbed near Brassac-les-Mines, central France. A drought has forced eight districts to impose water restrictions Photograph: Thierry Zoccolan/AFP/Getty Images

A banded morwong searches for food. Rapidly warming oceans threaten many fish species by stunting their growth, increasing stress and raising the risk of death, a study in the Australian journal Nature Climate Change shows Photograph: Edward Forbes/University of Tasmania/Reuters