an Bornean orangutan climbing into the tree canopy
a snow leopard
macaws in Peru
the wing of a Menelaus Blue Morpho Butterfly
Wild vicuna look for an escape during a yearly round up outside of Picotani.
a collared anteater, Tamandua tetradactyla, Pantanal, Brazil
a woolly opossum drinking an Ochroma blossom's nectar.
alpine chough
an emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus) coiled in rainforest tree, Guyana
a pika in its native alpine habitat
a swallowtail butterfly on birch tree
a king vulture
llamas overlooking the Pre-Columbian Inca ruins of Machu Picchu.
male ibex clashing horns in Italy
a green iguana
a mountain goat
a sunbird
a sloth
a yellow eyelash viper
1 of 19
Tempted by the fruit of a strangler fig, a Bornean orangutan climbs 100 feet into the canopy. Borneo, Indonesia.
Photograph by Tim Laman, Nat Geo Image Collection

19 Photos of Animals Living the High Life

Photographers scaled mountains and climbed towering trees to capture these astounding images of animals living at the top of the world.

ByAnnie Roth
July 03, 2018

Atop the highest mountains and tallest trees, wildlife abounds.

On almost every continent, there are animals thriving in high places. These creatures aren’t afraid of heights, nor should they be. Every one of these high-flying, mountain scaling animals has evolved, over millions of years, the ability to flourish in places humans can't reach without a helicopter. This collection of images, taken by National Geographic photographers, illustrates the immense diversity of life that exists above us.

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