To be eligible for any Wildlife award images must meet the following conditions in addition to the General Restirctions on Nature Photography listed below.

(a) Zoological organisms must be living free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat of their own choosing. 

(b) Images of zoological organisms that have been removed from their natural habitat, or in any form of captivity, or are being controlled by humans for the purpose of photography are not allowed. 

(c) Botanical organisms may not be removed from their natural environment for the purpose of photography. 

(d) Images that have been staged for the purpose of photography are not allowed. 

General Nature Photography Restrictions

Nature photography records all branches of natural history except anthropology and archaeology. This includes all aspects of the physical world, both animate and inanimate, that have not been made or modified by humans.

 Nature images must convey the truth of the scene that was photographed. A well-informed person should be able to identify the subject of the image and be satisfied that it has been presented honestly and that no unethical practices have been used to control the subject or capture the image. Images that directly or indirectly show any human activity that threatens the life or welfare of a living organism are not allowed.

Borders: In Reality Divisions in S4C  (Nature, PhotoTravel, Photojournalism) single white or grey borders of 3, 4, or 5 pixels in width are permitted. Larger, smaller, black, or color borders are not permitted. Entrants are, however, advised that borders of less than 5 pixels may appear incomplete in the smaller images used in the final Catalog due to jpeg artifacts.