Nat Geo - Photo Gallery: Bison

Close-Up of a Bison

Photograph by Sam Abell

With their large, sharp horns, bison are formidable foes. During mating season, bulls fight for the right to breed with harems of cows, but rarely duel to the death.


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Nat Geo - Photo Gallery: U.S. Road Trips

 

The Ozarks, Arkansas

Photograph by Peter Essick

Bathed in moonlight and swollen with floodwater, the rush of Haw Creek Falls announces the return of spring to Arkansas's Ozark National Forest. These rugged mountains, which daunted early travelers, now serve as the backdrop for a deciduous forest that, in autumn, bursts into a kaleidoscopic palette of colors.
Did You Know? In 1861, Arkansas seceded from the Union to join the Confederate States of America. Take our quiz on the U.S. South to learn more.

 

Vermont Cheese Trail

Photograph by Jean Snide, My Shot

Autumn colors tint the land around a hay barn in Berkshire, Vermont. Almost 1.5 million acres (610,000 hectares) of Vermont land are dedicated to agriculture. Dairy farming is the primary agricultural industry here, but Vermont is also the largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S.

Did You Know? Calvin Coolidge's father and namesake, John Calvin Coolidge, opened the Plymouth Cheese Factory with other local Vermont farmers in 1890. Learn more about Vermont cheese with our seven-question quiz.

 

Mount Hood, Oregon

Photograph by Marc Muench, Getty Images

Climbers approach the peak of Mount Hood, the highest mountain in Oregon at 11,245 feet (3,427 meters) and the second most climbed mountain in the world, after Japan's Mount Fuji.

Did You Know? Mount Hood's last major eruption occurred in the 1790s, although residents reported minor explosive activity in the mid-1800s. Take our Mount Hood Quiz and learn more.

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Nat Geo - Photo Gallery: Baby Animals

Baby Harp Seal

Photograph by Norbert Rosing

A baby harp seal rests on the Arctic ice. Its mother can distinguish it from hundreds of others by scent alone

Baby Asian Elephant in Tall Grass

Photograph by William Albert Allard

Baby elephants are born big, standing approximately three feet (one meter) tall and weighing 200 pounds (91 kilograms) at birth. They nurse for two to three years, and are fully mature at 9 (females) to 15 (males) years of age.

Lynx and Cub

Photograph by Norbert Rosing

Lynxes are known for the black tufts of fur on the tips of their ears.

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Nat Geo - Photo Gallery: Big Cat Cubs

 

African Lion Cub

Photograph by Beverly Joubert

An African lion cub rests in the tall grasses of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Once ranging across the African continent and into Syria, Israel, Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and even northwest India, lions have declined to as few as 20,000 animals from about 450,000 just 50 years ago.

 

Asiatic Leopard Cub

Photograph by Steve Winter

An Asiatic leopard cub in the Hukawng Valley in Myanmar (Burma) became an orphan after hunters killed its mother to sell her body parts for use in traditional medicine. In 2010, the entire valley—about the size of Vermont—was designated by the government of Myanmar as a tiger sanctuary, a major conservation step that protects big cats and other rare species throughout the territory.

 

Lion Cubs Playing

Photograph by Beverly Joubert

Lion cubs play in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Loss of habitat, prey decline, pesticides, and even canine distemper and tuberculosis have caused lion numbers to quickly decline across Africa.

Big Cats Initiative

National Geographic is working to avert the extinction of lions, tigers, and other big cats with the Big Cats Initiative, a comprehensive program that supports innovative projects. Learn how you can help save these animals.

For just $5, you can help save big cats by uploading a photo of your little kitty here.

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Nat Geo Photo Gallery: Domestic Dogs

 

Clementine and Oliver

Photograph by Devan Sreedhar

Clementine and Oliver rest on a picnic table after playing in the dog park.

 

Sasha

Photograph by David Braun

Sasha tries to get every last lick out of an empty ice cream container.

 

Louis Armstrong, Hound Mix

Photograph by Blake DePastino

Louis Armstrong is a Hurricane Katrina rescue dog and was adopted when he was five months old.

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