Neil Anderson / Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), two curled up asleep in drey inside nest box. Nest of lichen and Pine needles. Highlands, Scotland, UK. Medium repro only.

Stefan Christmann / Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) chick aged six to eight weeks sheltering on parent's feet, portrait. Atka Bay, Antarctica. September.

Klein & Hubert / Organic free range domestic Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) using comfort brushes, Germany.

Mark Taylor / Tabby kitten, Picasso, age 3 months, sleeping on a fluffy rug.

Anup Shah / Eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurtheii) young baby of adolescent female 'Golden' suckling. Gombe National Park, Tanzania.

Suzi Eszterhas / Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) mother with joey aged eight months, Queensland, Australia, captive.

Nick Garbutt / Adult Helmet Vanga (Euryceros prevostii) incubating a clutch of 3 eggs. Nest constructed in the fork of a Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium sp.) Masoala National Park, north east Madagascar.

Mark Taylor / Two cute tabby kittens, Stanley and Fosset, 7 weeks, sleeping in a hammock.

Lisa Hoffner / A baby orphan Elephant (Loxodonta africana), named Murka, wounded by a poacher's spear is comforted by the touch of another elephant's trunk from outside its pen. David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Eleph...

Edwin Giesbers / Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) with its beak tucked under its wing. The Netherlands, June.

Pete Oxford / Close up of Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) with head tucked into wing, Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, SW England, UK captive

John Waters / Banded Mongoose (Mungos mungo) group resting together in shade during heat of mid-day, Mweya Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, E. Africa

SIMON KING / Young Meerkats huddling together {Suricata suricatta} Tswalu Kalahari Reserve S Africa

Jaymi Heimbuch / African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) orphaned calves with keeper, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Nairobi, Kenya

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Light shining from tent at Innu hunting camp at dusk, in snow covered boreal forest. Southern Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Cyril Ruoso / Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), three cubs huddled together outside den. Yonne France. May.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) sleeping in tree fork. Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. Captive.

Cyril Ruoso / Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) cubs, three sleeping near den. Yonne, France. May.

Aflo / Long hared Persian cat wrapped in towel. Japan.

Sylvain Cordier / Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) female and cub sleeping on barrier island near Kaktovik. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, USA. September.

Franco Banfi / Camp on beach at full moon, in Vrangel Bay where Bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus) congregate during summer. Primorsky Krai, Russia. August 2019.

Stefan Christmann / Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), young chick on father's feet. Atka Bay, Antarctica. August.

Stefan Christmann / Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) chick aged six to eight weeks stretching wings whilst sheltering on parent's feet. Atka Bay, Antarctica. September.

Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals / Save Movement activists comfort one another outside at Toronto Chicken Save vigil outside a chicken slaughterhouse. Toronto, Canada. August 2015. © Jo-Anne McArthur / Toronto Chicken Save / naturepl.c...

Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals / Save Movement activists comfort one another outside at Toronto Chicken Save vigil outside a chicken slaughterhouse. Toronto, Canada. August 2015. © Jo-Anne McArthur / Toronto Chicken Save / naturepl.c...

Karine Aigner / Grey langur / Hanuman langur (Semnopithecus sp) baby snuggling up to its mother. Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India.

Tui De Roy / Red-footed booby (Sula sula), adult and chick at nest. Genovesa Island, Galapagos.

Suzi Eszterhas / Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), orphaned baby curled up in arms of research assistant. Taipei Zoo, Taipei, Taiwan. 2015. Captive.

Staffan Widstrand / Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) juvenile resting amongst rocks in morning light, winter pelage. Dovrefjell National Park, Norway. September.

Staffan Widstrand / Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) juvenile curled up, sleeping in morning light, winter pelage. Dovrefjell National Park, Norway. September.

David Pattyn / Coquerel's sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) juvenile holding on to its mother, Anjajavy Private Reserve, north west Madagascar.

Bernard Castelein / Ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) huddled together, Anjaha Community Conservation Site, near Ambalavao, Madagascar, October. Commended in Single Species Portfolio of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awar...

Cyril Ruoso / Golden monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) females and young huddled together, Qinling Mountains, China.

Kirkendall-Spring / Night view of cabin, Lamar Buffalo Ranch, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. February 2016.

Ingo Arndt / European beaver (Castor fiber) adult grooming new born babies inside lodge , Germany, May.

Klein & Hubert / Organic domestic Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) using comfort brushes in stall, Germany.

Klein & Hubert / Organic free range, domestic Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) using comfort brushes, Germany.

Anup Shah / Eastern chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurtheii) female 'Fanni' aged 30 years rubbing genitals with female 'Gaia' aged 22 years to comfort her after a disagreement with another chimpanzee. Gombe N...

Anup Shah / Lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) male hugging a distressed juvenile to comfort it. Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India.

Mark Taylor / Black-and-white Border Collie x Cocker Spaniel puppy, 11 weeks old, asleep on a cream teddy bear.

Fiona Rogers / Celebes / Black crested macaque (Macaca nigra) baby less than 1 month in mother's arms, Tangkoko National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Anup Shah / Celebes / Black crested macaque (Macaca nigra) females hugging each other as a greeting and comfort due to one's distress, Tangkoko National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Anup Shah / African lion (Panthera leo) cub aged 4 months seeking comfort from its mother after being bullied by an older cub aged 10 months, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, August

Petra Wegner / Eurasier, puppy, 10 weeks, lying down with soft toy.

Lisa Hoffner / Orphan baby Elephant (Loxodonta africana) pressing its trunk against a wooden post, part of an Elephant mother mimic to comfort new orphans. David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Nairobi Elephant Nursery, Ke...

Edwin Giesbers / Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) wallowing in mud. The Netherlands.

Edwin Giesbers / Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus) with its beak tucked under its wing. The Netherlands, June.

Karl Ammann / Two Bonobo {Pan paniscus} orphans looking up and sitting in close proximity for comfort. Lola Ya Bonobo Sanctuary, Kinshasa, DR of Congo, 2007