The violence of humankind towards the planet, the arrogance and presumptuous claim of superiority over other forms of life are the true protagonists of the winning photograph at Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017. Memorial to a species brought photojournalist Brent Stirton the most prestigious wildlife photography title in the world, and confronts us with the stark reality from which we too often avert our gaze out of convenience.

"Being able to render a tragic scene almost majestic in its sculptural power deserves the highest award. In the fallen giant there is rawness, but also great emotional intensity and, therefore, dignity," commented the jury. "It is also the symbol of the most costly, cruel and needless environmental crime, one that must arouse the greatest outcry among the public."

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017 winners

The photograph, which portrays a black rhinoceros just killed for its horn in the Hluhluwe Imfolozi reserve in South Africa, tells the tragic story being lived by black rhinoceroses. In the past these giants were the most numerous rhinoceros species, but they are now at risk of extinction due to poaching and the illegal trafficking of rhinoceros horns.

Memorial to a species by Brent Stirton, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2017 winner. Poachers killed this black rhinoceros for its horn in Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in South Africa. They entered the park illegally, probably from a nearby village, and are thought to have used a silenced hunting rifle. Once the most numerous species, black rhinos are now severely threatened by poaching and the illegal trade in rhino horn, one of the most corrupt © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The good life by Daniel Nelson, Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year winner. Daniel encountered Caco in the forest of Odzala National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the photograph, Caco is feasting on a breadfruit. He is around 9 years old and is about to leave his family. The western lowland gorilla is a species threatened by illegal hunting, disease, deforestation and climate change. In his portrait of Caco, Daniel succeeded in capturing the inextricable resemblance between these primates and human beings, as well as the importance of the forests on which their survival depends © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Polar pas de deux by Eilo Elvinger, winner of the black and white category. Off the coast of Norway, Eilo spotted a polar bear and its two-year-old cub approaching the boat. The two bears were drawn to a pile of snow soaked with waste liquid from the kitchen, which they began to lick. "I felt ashamed of our impact on the pristine landscape and of how it had influenced the bears' behaviour." Mirroring each other, with their hind legs touching, they tasted the stained snow simultaneously. Their habitat is shrinking due to global warming, which is thinning the Arctic ice on which the bears depend © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Stuck in by Ashleigh Scully, winner of the 11–14 years category. Snow had blanketed Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park, and the day was cold and overcast. This female American red fox was hunting by the roadside, walking silently across the snow. At just the right moment, she plunged into the snow, remaining in that position for around ten seconds before using her hind legs to push herself out of the hole. Ashleigh explains that the image shows the harsh reality of winter in Yellowstone © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Giant gathering by Tony Wu, winner of the mammals category. Decades of sperm whales swim together off the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. This is a very special event: a gathering of dozens, perhaps hundreds, of groups. Sperm whales are intelligent, gregarious and long-lived: the various groups play, forage, interact and communicate with one another in many ways and have distinctive characteristics. Around two thirds of the sperm whale population disappeared during the peak of twentieth-century commercial whaling, which was banned in 1986. This gathering could be a sign of the species' recovery © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The ice monster by Laurent Ballesta, winner of the Earth's environments category. Laurent and his team were left speechless by the sheer size of the icebergs, fascinated by the fact that only ten per cent is visible above the water's surface. The diving team was working in Antarctica at the French scientific base of Dumont D'Urville. Ice shelves in some areas of the region are melting more rapidly than scientists had predicted. When Laurent saw the iceberg, he realised he had to seize the opportunity to show its underwater portion for the first time. It took three days in the freezing water to survey the location, install the equipment and take the photographs. © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Crab surprise by Justin Gilligan, winner of the invertebrates category. In the ocean depths, a swarm of giant crabs roams an area the size of a football pitch. Justin was documenting a seaweed transplant experiment by the University of Tasmania and took the shot with great surprise. A Maori octopus appears equally astonished by the unexpected encounter © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Palm-oil survivors by Aaron Gekoski, winner of the Wildlife photojournalism category In the state of Sabah in Borneo, three generations of elephants make their way through the terraces of a palm oil plantation. In Sabah, most of the rainforest has been destroyed and the palm oil industry remains one of the principal drivers of deforestation, forcing elephants to live in ever smaller areas. This is why they are frequently found wandering through plantations in search of food, bringing them into conflict with farmers and putting them at risk of being killed. © Aaron Gekoski/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Contemplation by Peter Delaney, winner of the portraits category. Peter spent a long and difficult morning tracking chimpanzees (part of a group of 250 individuals) in Kibale National Park in Uganda. Totti was absorbed in courtship, moving back and forth and gesticulating. Only when he relaxed on the ground, spent by unrequited love, did Peter have his chance to take the photograph. "He lay down, hands behind his head, and went still. Almost as if he were dreaming about what might have been." © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

In the grip of the gulls by Ekaterina Bee, winner of the up to ten years of age category. Like her whole family, Ekaterina (aged five and a half) is fascinated by nature. During a boat trip off the coast of Norway, her attention was drawn to a flock of European herring gulls. They were looking for food and as soon as Ekaterina threw some bread, they surrounded her. She loved the expression of the furthest gull: "It looked curious, as if it were trying to work out what was happening on the boat." © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The incubator bird by Gerry Pearce, winner of the birds category © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The ancient ritual by Brian Skerry, winner of the amphibians and reptiles category. Like the generations before her, this leatherback turtle shifts her considerable weight on her large, powerful flippers, heading towards the ocean. Leatherback turtles are the largest and deepest-diving sea turtles. They spend much of their lives at sea, shrouded in mystery. Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge in the Virgin Islands provides a precious nesting habitat. Elsewhere, these turtles are not so fortunate and are threatened by bycatch, human activities and climate change. © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Tapestry of life by Dorin Bofan, winner of the plants and fungi category © Wildlife Photographer of the Year

The winners of the 53rd edition of Wildlife Photographer of the Year were announced on 17 October at the Natural History Museum in London, United Kingdom. An international jury selected the winning images for their artistic composition, technical innovation and truthful interpretation of the animal and plant world. The competition's aim is, in fact, to showcase the best nature photography at an international level while, at the same time, raising awareness of the beauty — and fragility — of nature, compelling us not to look away.