The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum in Tring is one of the first venues outside of London to host the exhibition of The Wildlife Photographer of the Year, organised by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine.

This year the competition attracted entries from 57 countries, and the panel of experienced judges scrutinised more than 17,000 entries from both professional and amateur photographers. The competition exhibition tours around the world in the next 12 months, but also comes to a number of galleries and museums in the UK.

Paul Kitching, manager of the Rothschild Zoological Museum says: "These are some of the most impressive photos of nature you will see."

They include the two overall winning photographs, Sky Chase, by Manuel Presti from Italy won the competition. And ten-year-old Jesse Ritonen from Finland won the Young Wildlife Photographer (YWP) for 2005 with Inquisitive Jay.

There are three categories for the YWP, ten and under, 11 to 14 and 15 to 17, but young Jesse's photo was awarded the main prize above all the entries from older photographers.

Manuel Presti is an engineer, but has been taking wildlife photographs for 20 years. With his photography, he aims to encourage conservation by showing the beauty in nature. This is only the second time he has entered the competition.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year was launched in 1964 by Animals, the predecessor to BBC Wildlife Magazine. That competition attracted just 500 entries in three categories, mammals, birds and other animals. All of the entries were documentary photographs, and the competition continued in the same fashion until 1981, when the magazine, now called Wildlife, decided to extend the criteria to include aesthetic values and emphasise taking shots under wild and free conditions. But the competition remained small until 1984 when the long standing partnership between BBC Wildlife Magazine and The Natural History Museum was first formed.

The prestigious venue and the supplement produced by the magazine increased the profile of the competition, eventually enabling a full awards ceremony, with overseas winners flown to the UK to receive their awards from wildlife celebrities such as Sir David Attenborough, Gerald Durrell and David Bellamy.

Now the competition is the biggest in the world of its type, and as can be seen from this year's entries, has a high international profile.

The exhibition at the Rothschild Zoological Museum gives Bucks locals a rare opportunity to see some high quality wildlife photography, before it travels round the world, to venues including the Australian Museum in Sydney, the Museun Den Haag in the Netherlands, and the Detroit Zoological Institute in the USA.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2005 is at the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, until January 22. Enquiries: 020 79426171