In pictures: Competition winners capture the majesty of leopards

A selection of 20 striking images have been selected as the winners of the Remembering Leopards photography competition from a record 3,500 entries.

All of the winners will appear in a new book out later this year to highlight the plight of the big cats, which are decreasing in number.

The book is the latest in the Remembering Wildlife series, which chronicles species at risk of extinction around the world. Created by wildlife photographer Margot Raggett, previous editions include Remembering Elephants, Remembering Rhinos and Remembering Bears.

Leopards are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, but a number of their nine sub-species are critically endangered.

Habitat loss and fragmentation, the legal and illegal wildlife trades, traps, trophy hunting and human-wildlife conflict are among the leading threats to leopards. Although found across Africa and Asia, they are now extinct across large swathes of their previous habitat.

Money raised by the book, and the competition entry fees, will go towards conservation programmes to protect the species. So far the series has raised £1million for projects in 28 countries.

‘We had a record number of entries this year and the standard was outstanding,’ said Ms Raggett. ‘These 20 competition winners rightly deserve their place among our regular contributors, whose stunning work has made the series possible.

‘Interest in the series grows each year and I’ve promised our avid supporters that Remembering Leopards will be the most beautiful book on leopards the world has ever seen. These wonderful animals deserve their story to be told.’