Stunning Shot of Rare Black Tiger Among the Most Fascinating Wildlife Photos of the Year

"National Geographic" released its Pictures of Year in its December 2024 issue

National Geographic is sharing the natural world's most beautiful moments from 2024

In its December 2024 issue, National Geographic reveals its Pictures of the Year. The collection of 20 photos was curated from over 2.3 million images submitted to the magazine by world-renowned photographers.

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The photos capture animals, people, and nature coexisting in fascinating ways. Among the 20 images is a shot of a rare black tiger, a big cat that gets its name from its extra-wide stripes. Prasenjeet Yadav captured the elusive feline prowling the Similipal Tiger Reserve in India. Per National Geographic, Similipal Tiger Reserve is home to the world's only wild population of black tigers, also known as pseudo-melanistic tigers.

In another part of the world, photographer Bertie Gregory captured the nail-biting moment a young emperor penguin leaped from a 50-foot cliff in Antarctica for its first big swim. According to National Geographic, Emperor penguins often spend time on low-lying sea ice but have increasingly sought higher ice shelves, likely due to climate change.

Babak Tafreshi snapped his photo, which was selected for National Geographic's Picture of the Year, in southern Texas. He captured dozens of bats streaming out into the sunset.

Cicadas were another swarm that caught National Geographic's attention this year. John Stanmeyer's photo of the insects shows just a few of the millions of cicadas that emerged this summer when brood XIII, a 17-year cycle cicada, and brood XIX, a 13-year cycle cicada, emerged simultaneously for the first time in 221 years.

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Ryan Tidman photographed a rare event in Canada: the day female Pacific herring release up to 20,000 eggs off the coast of Vancouver Island every spring, and males release milt to spawn — a visual display that attracts other animals, like sea lions.

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All 20 photos selected at National Geographic Pictures of the Year are available to view now. For more on this story, visit NatGeo.com/Photos.