21 October 2010 Last updated at 01:12

In pictures: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010

Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Bence Mate's winning image of leafcutter ants in Costa Rica, A Marvel of Ants

Bence Mate's photo of leafcutter ants in Costa Rica has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year main award. He said: "They were only active at night, which made my job very difficult." He used a flash behind the leaf for the silhouette.

Bridgena Barnard's picture of a springbok being killed by two cheetahs, winner of the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010 mammal behaviour category

Bridgena Barnard took her family with her in search of this shot in South Africa’s Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park on Christmas Day. She said: "We knew it was a special moment - we were all quiet in the vehicle thinking about what we had witnessed."

Jari Peltomaki's image of Dalmation pelicans, highly commended in the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010

Jari Peltomaki described his shot of Dalmatian pelicans in northern Greece as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "I couldn’t believe my luck when the clouds lifted and I could see the mountains," he said. "I knew I had to make the most of it."

Eirik Gronningsater's image of a polar bear, winner of the animal portraits category in the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010

Eirik Gronningsater was with the Norwegian Polar Institute in Svarlbard, Norway, when the polar bear approached. He "sacrificed" a camera, operating it from a boat via remote control. "The bear picked it up, chewed it, and dropped it in the snow," he said.

Marcelo Krause's image, The Piranha Eater, which was highly commended in the underwater world category of the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010

Marcelo Krause did not risk many shots of this caiman. His plan was to photograph piranhas in Brazil's Pantanal, but when he put out bait for them, caimans arrived to eat the fish. "It was biting at the lens and I kept pulling my hands away," he recalled.

Science & Environment

In pictures: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010

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