In Pictures: Adorable and awe-inspiring images of the animal kingdom in 2023

Highlights of 2023 in the animal kingdom.

The past year has seemed full of bad news, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East along with extreme weather and a cost-of-living crisis, with the King’s coronation providing one of the few bright spots. And, of course, the animal kingdom continued to delight us.

Here are some of the highlights from the last 12 months.

JANUARY

Aviemore Sled Dog Rally 2023 — Competitors take part in The Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain’s 39th Aviemore Sled Dog Rally on forest trails around Loch Morlich, in the shadow of the Cairngorm mountains (Paul Campbell/PA)

Southern white rhinoceros born at Dublin Zoo — A newborn Southern white rhinoceros takes its first steps alongside mother Nyala at Dublin Zoo (Niall Carson/PA)

MARCH

Zebra born at West Midlands Safari Park — A baby Grevy’s zebra makes its public debut with its mother Akuna at the West Midlands Safari Park in Bewdley (Aaron Chown/PA)

Newborn lambs in Warwickshire — Newborn spring lambs on Nethermorton Farm at Moreton Morrell College in Warwickshire (Jacob King/PA)

Bear cubs released at Woburn Safari Park — One-year-old North American black bear cubs explore their surroundings in the drive-through enclosure at Woburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire (Joe Giddens/PA)

JUNE

Baby alpaca at Blair Drummond Safari Park — Newborn alpaca Sir Steveo, named after one of his keepers, ventures outside in the Pets Farm area of Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling (Andrew Milligan/PA)

JULY

Polar Bears at Peak Wildlife Park — Polar bear Hope and her cubs, Nanook and Noori, in their new habitat at Peak Wildlife Park near Leek, Staffordshire (Jacob King/PA)

AUGUST

Newborn meerkats at Blair Drummond — Meerkat pup Busta munches on a mealworm at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, near Stirling (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Newborn leopard cub — The only surviving critically endangered Amur leopard cub born in Europe this year takes its first steps into its reserve at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster (Danny Lawson/PA)

Guinness World Record cat purr — Fourteen-year-old pet cat Bella, from Cambridgeshire, broke the Guinness World Record for the loudest purr – 54.6 decibels (Guinness World Records/Whiskas/PA)

NOVEMBER

Fire investigation dog Reqs receives his PDSA Order of Merit medal at Hertfordshire’s Joint Emergency Services Academy, for his devotion to duty and service to society during his 11-year career (Joe Giddens/PA)

Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo — Giant panda Yang Guang says goodbye to visitors at Edinburgh Zoo before keepers got him and his companion Tian Tian ready to make their way back to China (Jane Barlow/PA)