THE winning picture of an African elephant family reflected in the still waters of a river will be the highlight of a wildlife photography exhibition at a museum.

The photograph, taken from the banks of the Luangwa River, in Zambia, by Angie Hall was the winning image in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2002 Competition.

It will feature alongside 100 commended images, which capture the wonder, splendour and variety of life on earth, in an exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum, in York.

Each of the mounted photographs beat off stiff competition from more than 18,000 entries to be awarded recognition.

Sarah Kavanagh, the competition's organiser, said: "The competition is a showcase for the very best international photography of natural subjects.

"It is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious in the world, encouraging photographers to ever greater achievements. This year's magnificent collection of images is no exception."

The competition, run by the BBC's Wildlife Magazine and The Natural History Museum, was open to amateur and professional photographers, and attracted entries from more than 60 countries.

The outstanding collection of images is coming to the museum as part of a world tour, which will include galleries, zoos, museums and science centres.

The exhibition can be seen from Saturday.