The Sony World Photography Awards, an annual competition hosted by the World Photography Organization, just announced that photographer Ami Vitale made the shortlist of winners for 2017.   Seen by few, but beloved by billions, the giant panda is one of the most recognised animals on the planet. It’s hard to imagine, but these animals, who roamed the earth for eight million years, were only discovered in the last century. Unknown, and hidden from the western world for millions of years, even…