In a moment of mercy, a turtle was captured letting a dragonfly perch on its face instead of turning it into a crunchy snack.
The Balkan pond turtle lives all over Asia and Europe, and enjoys a rich diet of whatever is nearby. But they tend to prefer meat, according to the Croatian Herpetological Society, which makes the turtle's decorum here even kinder.
"The turtle appeared to be experiencing pleasure from the interaction as they shared a moment of peaceful coexistence in the midst of the swamp's murky waters," photographer Tzahi Finkelstein said in the official caption for the photograph.
This photo is one of 25 currently up for consideration as the public's favorite wildlife photo of 2023.
It's an offshoot of a larger contest that was initially judged in October, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, which is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London.
The winners of the people's choice award will be announced in February 2024 and displayed in the museum along with those announced earlier this year.
This is only a portion of the 25 images up for the title. If you want to see them all, and vote for your favorite, you can do so here. Voting closes on January 31, 2024.