The week in wildlife – in pictures

A sedated black rhino being carried by a military helicopter away from a poaching area in the hills of the Eastern Cape to a new home 15 miles away, Limpopo, South Africa. The move was organised by World Wildlife Fund who transported the herd of rhinos 1,000 miles to fresh breeding ground in the northern Limpopo province first by helicopter then by trucks. In order not distress the rhinos they were darted and put to sleep before being lifted. Black rhinos are under threat across Africa, where poachers in parks and private reserves kill and maim them for their horns Photograph: Green Renaissance/EPA

A land snail of the variety Powelliphanta sp augustus New Zealand. The Department of Conservation released 4,000 of them into the wild but retained about 1,600 for a breeding programme to ensure the survival of the snails, descendants of prehistoric creatures Photograph: Walker K./EPA

A duck moves through the waters along the Esplanade on an unusually warm autumn day in Boston, Massachusetts Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Flowers bloom on the desert in the Llanos de Challe national park, at the doors of the Atacama desert, USA. An exceptional year with a 50 mm rainfall helped the more than 200 species of autochthonous flowers, which don't grow elsewhere, 14 of them in risk of extinction, to spread out a colorful blanket over the world's driest desert Photograph: Antoine Lassagne/AFP/Getty Images

A white egret sits in a tree top at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas, USA Photograph: Larry W. Smith/EPA

Ralph, a two-year-old sea lion, is held by a member of Orca, Organisation for Research and Conservation of Aquatic Animals, during his treatment at the rehabilitation base in Lima. Ralph was found on a beach with injuries caused by a fishing net 45 days ago. The sea lions are being cared for by members of Orca, until they are able to survive in the wild on their own Photograph: PILAR OLIVARES/REUTERS

A sub-nosed monkey at the Beijing zoo. The Beijing zoo is the oldest zoo in China housing over 7,000 animals of 600 different species Photograph: DIEGO AZUBEL/EPA

Three whitetail deer run through a soybean field in Felton, Pennsylvania, USA Photograph: Chris Gardner/EPA

Paroedura masobe: Because of their IUCN red list status, species which have often been overlooked in conservation efforts, such as endangered geckos, Paroedura masobe and Uroplatus pietschmanni will be featured more prominently in future plans Photograph: Franco Andreone/IUCN

An aerial view photo shows large salt formations in the southern part of the Dead Sea, near Ein Boqek. The Dead Sea is one of the sites candidate of other 28 sits in a international online campaign votes to select the new Seven Wonders of World heritage sites Photograph: Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire Photograph: Martin Godwin/Guardian

Toruk, a 3-year-old male harpy eagle, held an impressive pose for guests to San Diego zoo. Harpy eagles have excellent vision that allows them to see something less than 1 inch in size from almost 220 yards away. But the feathers on the top of the head, which can be fanned out into a bold crest distinguishes this raptor from other eagles. Toruk's keepers say he seems to raise these when he is curious, but biologists also theorise it may help the eagle break its silhouette in the rain forests of Central and South America where they are found Photograph: Ken Bohn/AFP/Getty Images

Yellow leaved gingko trees make a fine autumn showing in a quiet street in Beijing, China. Autumn is regarded by many as the most enjoyable season in Beijing with mild weather, fresh fruit and vegetables and golden foliage Photograph: Adrian Bradshaw/EPA

A group of myna birds and egrets sit on a shrub as a group of asiatic water buffalo passes nearby in the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary, north-east India Photograph: STR/EPA

A pygmy rabbit in a enclosure by the Washington State Department of Fish in central Washington. After more than three years of coddling and hand-care in captivity at Washington State University and then the Oregon zoo, the small Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits moved into natural habitat in the sage lands of Douglas County Photograph: Mike Bonnicksen/AP

A frozen clover flower in the heavy frost, after the temperature have dropped to below freezing, Hebburn, England, 7 November Photograph: Scott Heppell/AP