From a peaceful gorilla to a cloud of fish sperm: Wildlife photos of the year

Known in Lagos at the "snake man," Mark Ofua is the face of an animal welfare group that is fighting Nigeria's illegal wildlife trade. He rescues animals, nurses them to health and releases them back into the wild.

The US Embassy in Phnom Penh says it has spent more than $100 million to combat deforestation in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary. But illegal activities continue apace.

Kenya's first National Wildlife Census takes to the air after launching on May 7th 2021. The census is conducted through a partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the newly-created Wildlife Research & Training Institute, who are increasingly turning to plane observation to monitor the state of the country's animal populations.

Once famed for its exceptional wildlife, Libya's Farwa island risks becoming just another victim of lawlessness in the war-ravaged North African nation, activists struggling to save it warn.

Images of a mountain gorilla (gorilla beringei beringei) holding her newborn baby in the Virunga National Park (PNVi), in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The birth of a "new baby" male occurred on the morning of 22 August in the Baraka family, Olivier Mukisya of the PNVi communication service says. of the new member of the Baraka family, born on the morning of 22 August

Vast swathes of land are underwater in India's Assam state, as incessant monsoon rains burst the banks of swollen rivers and strand thousands of people in cut-off villages.

Singapore's new wildlife forensics centre aims to help in the fight against smuggling networks by analysing seized body parts from endangered animals to determine where they originated from.

Photos show border patrol officers on horseback in Texas appearing to swing their reins to threaten migrants and push them back toward the Rio Grande river. The images have spread quickly on social media and have sparked reactions from Vice President Kamala Harris and US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Several photos showing an arms seizure in Burkina Faso are circulating on Facebook. France is directly accused of sending weapons via Burkina Faso to terrorists in eastern Mali. This is not the first time these photos have circulated online. France 24 Observers debunked some of them back in 2019 - we take a closer look at why they have now resurfaced.

Social media users have been sharing images that purport to be of Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid. It's claimed they show he's leading a double life. The photos, supposedly, include him failing to wear a head covering and even posing alongside a woman who also isn't wearing a headscarf or veil. But by using reverse image searches and facial recognition technology, it's easy to see the photos are all of other people. The means to spot fakes are out there, but people have to want to look.

The massive oil spill from 480,000 liters leaking off the Orange County coast is slowly moving south, threatening marine-protected areas as well as popular beaches. On the coastline of South California, most beaches are closed, with efforts to clean areas impacted by the oil ongoing.

While Chinese papers hail the country's launch of a $233 million biodiversity fund, the Guardian warns that China is rowing back on its commitment to reduce carbon emissions. We also look at the tragic deaths of three migrants who were hit by a train in south-western France. Meanwhile, employees from Google and Amazon call on their companies to abandon a project with Israel. We end with the most striking winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.