Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 first images feature orcas, fox cubs and erupting volcanoes

The overall winner will be announced on 18 October

'Splitting the Catch' by Norwegian photographer Audun Rikardsen

From cute and curious fox cubs to cuttlefish courtship and erupting volcanoes, the first bunch of images from this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year finalists hint at one of the most ambitious and masterful contests yet.

Now in its 52nd year, the annual competition celebrating the world’s best nature photography has attracted nearly 50,000 submissions from amateur and professional photographers across the globe.

A jury of international experts will choose the winning images based on their creativity, originality and technical excellence before a touring exhibition featuring the 100 best photographs will visit six continents, revealing the astonishing diversity of life on our planet and highlighting our crucial role in protecting it.

The stories behind the photographs are often as fascinating as the images themselves, from a pride of confused lions trying to catch a pangolin in South Africa to the rare sighting of a beautiful, highly endangered golden langur monkey in India.

Have a read about some of the finalists this year:

The overall winning image will be announced on the evening of 18 October with the exhibition opening shortly afterwards Friday 21 October at London’s Natural History Museum.