A golden monkey nestling in its mother's arms in Sichuan province, Southwest China. [Photo by Zhou Donglin/For China Daily]

Bao Yongqing, a senior official from the Qilian Mountains Nature Conservation Association based in Northwest China's Qinghai province, says Zhou's work captures an eternal moment, recording a timeless natural story that allows viewers to witness a world where the "law of the jungle" and "tender affection" coexist.

"It is a collision of life's instincts — the snow leopard's hunt clashing with the motherly love of the upland buzzard who sacrifices itself to protect its young," Bao says. "Every detail in the image is worth examining, drawing each observer to speculate on the unfolding story.

"The work reveals the stunning and perilous tensions of nature, making it an extraordinary creation that expands the boundaries of our understanding," he adds.

Zhou started contemplating the meaning of life when she was confined to bed for six months following a car crash in 2013.

"The doctor told me I was likely to lose mobility," she recalls.

She realized she had been striving to be a straight-A student to please her parents and was trying to earn money, as was expected of her after graduation. "I was too busy to try to figure out what I want," she says.

Iberian lynx hunting in Spain. [Photo by Zhou Donglin/For China Daily]

As she reflected on her past and looked to the future, her childhood dream of exploring every corner of the planet sprang to mind.

"I love watching documentaries about wildlife, man and nature, which inspired me to pursue a path in that direction," she says.

When she fully recovered, she picked up the camera and backpacked to Africa, Europe and the polar lands.

She was immediately overwhelmed by the power of the wild.

A female lion sniffing a sea of blossoms in Zimbabwe, a little hummingbird suckling honey against an ongoing storm near a volcano in Costa Rica, and a brown mother bear feeding fish to her baby in Alaska were among the wonders that blew her mind.

"I enjoy capturing these animals in their natural, unrestrained state, observing their struggle against nature and the friendships, love, conflict, and family bonds in their world," she says.