The popular annual ANZANG Nature Photography exhibition will return to the Western Australian Museum – Perth on 27 July.

The ANZANG Nature Photography exhibition celebrates the depth and diversity of nature in Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea through the eyes of a photographer.

WA Museum Chief Executive Officer Alec Coles said the extremely high calibre of the photography in the exhibition had attracted strong audiences in the past, and he expected this year’s exhibition to be just as popular.

“The consistent enthusiastic reception from the public each year proves it to be an absolute favourite amongst WA visitors. We hope again this year it will inspire people to pick up their own cameras and explore the extraordinary natural beauty that this State has to offer,” Mr Coles said.

The ANZANG competition was founded by Perth surgeon Dr Stuart Miller in 2003 to encourage conservation and protection of the region's native animals and plants.

The exhibition includes images from both professional and amateur photographers in a number of categories including animal behaviour; animal portraits; threatened species; botanical; underwater; and wilderness.

This year’s overall winning image was taken by Ofer Levy who stood in chest-deep water in Parramatta Park, New South Wales, to capture the unique drinking action of the Grey-headed Flying Fox.

Mr Levy said capturing the animal in action during daylight was very rare, as they usually drink by swooping over the water and licking their wet bellies in low light at dusk.

Western Australian Tammy Gibbs took out the Botanical category of the competition with her image ‘Gotcha! Ensnared by a Sundew’, taken in Kings Park.

The free ANZANG Nature Photography exhibition will be on display at the WA Museum – Perth from 27 July to 19 August, 2012.

The ANZANG Nature Photography competition and exhibition is owned and run by the South Australian Museum.

Niki Comparti, Western Australian Museum, 6552 7805, niki.comparti@museum.wa.gov.au