Captions were written and submitted by the photographers.

From the edges of isolated jungles to well-traversed national parks, photographers travel the globe looking to capture the beauty—and challenges—wildlife face in our modern world. Urban spaces sometimes converge with natural habitats; the changing climate continues to shape the world around us; and stunning protected areas capture our imaginations.

The 2018 National Geographic Photo Contest seeks compelling visions of wildlife, places, and people, and invites photographers to submit their best pictures. Our editors can’t keep these amazing photos all to themselves—so explore this gallery of some of the top wildlife entries so far—and wait to see what is yet to come.