Stunning highly commended images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

In one shot, a lioness peers over the edge of a rock and faces down a cobra; in another, a sloth hugs the post of a barbed wire fence as if their life depends on it; in another, a lone elephant wades through piles of multicolored rubbish at a waste disposal site.

​ In one shot, a lioness peers over the edge of a rock and faces down a cobra; in another, a sloth hugs the post of a barbed wire fence as if their life depends on it; in another, a lone elephant wades through piles of multicolored rubbish at a waste disposal site. Read More Breaking News, Latest News and Videos | CNN