National Geographic’s Pictures of the Year: 5 stunning wildlife images
An Emperor penguin chick waddles up to the edge and leaps 50 feet into the freezing waters below. National Geographic recorded the penguin’s daring dive with a drone camera. This was the first time that the behavior had been captured on film. The magazine also included an image of the penguin’s daring dive (shown below) on its list of the 2024 Pictures of the Year honorees. A young emperor Penguin jumps from a 50 foot cliff to take its first swim. The species usually breeds on lower-lying seaice. However, some colonies were found on higher, more permanent ice shelf. This behavior is likely to become more common as climate change increases. The chicks were left by their parents one month ago and must now hunt for food in the ocean. Photo by Bertie Gregory, National Geographic
The annual Pictures of the Year is a list of 2.3 million photos that celebrates our spectacularly diverse world. The images are stunningly detailed, from the massive sand dunes in Egypt’s Western Desert down to the Romanian farmer who is dealing with the changing environment. Visit NatGeo.com for more information. 
A 70-day old rhino fetus conceived by in vitro fertilisation is held by a scientist. Photo by Ami Vial
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Ingo Arndt worked with the University of Konstanz to build a nest for viewing the breeding behavior of wood ants, normally hidden in forest mounds. Arndt observed female colony workers cleaning eggs, larvae spinning cocoons and hatchlings opening cocoons using their mandibles. Photo by Ingo arndt
Periodic cicadas are underground for 13 to 17 years before emerging to reproduce. For the first time since 221 years, in May and June last year, broods XIII and XIX with 17-year cycles and 13-year cycles, respectively, emerged in the Midwest and the southeastern United States. They filled the air with vibrations, calling out to mate. Photo by National Geographic
National Geographic Magazine cover, Dec. 20,24.
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