In its annual highlight reel of the year, National Geographic has released its Pictures of the Year, featuring 25 of the top shots of people, places, cultural moments and wildlife in action<\/a>.<\/p>\n Five images were taken right here in the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC RELEASES ITS PICTURES OF THE YEAR: SEE SOME OF THE JAW-DROPPING SHOTS<\/a><\/p>\n Check out these standout photo moments below, all with a particular focus on animal life.<\/p>\n “From thousands of images made by our photographers all around the world, we present the ones that moved and inspired us most,” the editors write.\u00a0<\/p>\n The details in the captions are all courtesy of National Geographic.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2018Chicken or Egg?’ \u2014 Berkeley, California The cover of National Geographic’s December 2025 edition (at right) highlights its annual Pictures of the Year. For years, photographer Anand Varma has attempted to document when an egg yolk can still be seen but a bird form has clearly emerged. He experimented by incubating embryos in artificial shells before finally capturing the transformation at 12 days old. Varma separately raised some embryos to chicks, which he donated to people in the community.\u00a0 (Anand Varma; National Geographic)<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES<\/a><\/p>\n For years, photographer Anand Varma has attempted to document when an egg yolk can still be seen but a bird form has clearly emerged. He experimented by incubating embryos in artificial shells before finally capturing the transformation at 12 days old. Varma separately raised some embryos to chicks, which he donated to people in the community.\u00a0 (Anand Varma)<\/p>\n ‘A Bee’s ZZZs’ \u2014 Davis, California A sunflower chimney bee rests on a pillow of velvety ochers in the early evening, likely already snoozing after a long day\u2019s work pollinating plants. This species of bee often nests at the base of sunflowers, moving with commercial farmers as they rotate their crops.\u00a0 (Karine Aigner)<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018A Great Sighting\u2019 \u2014 The Gulf of Maine Photographer Brian Skerry has been chronicling marine life for decades, but this image represents his first run-in with a great white shark in the Gulf of Maine, a place he did not expect to encounter one \u2014 especially from four feet away. Sightings of sharks like this 10-footer are increasing from Cape Cod to Nova Scotia, perhaps due in part to changing climate patterns. (Brian Skerry)<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018The Unlikely Hero’ \u2014 Wisconsin This two-day-old piglet was bred to save lives. Scientists modified its genes in an attempt to harvest kidneys for human transplantation. Pigs like this represent new hope for the tens of thousands of Americans in desperate need of kidneys, 66% of whom remain on the waiting list for more than a year. (Craig Cutler)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/chick-egg-national-geographic-cover.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/chick-embryo-national-geographic.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/bee-pollinating-national-geographic.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/great-white-shark-maine-national-geographic.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"a](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/pig-national-geographic.jpg\")
<\/p>\n