15 Award-Winning Photos From The Wildlife Photographer of The Year Competition

Laurent Ballesta, a marine biologist and photographer, captured 'The Golden Horseshoe' image in the Philippines. It shows a horseshoe crab moving through the mud, with young golden trevallies ready to snatch up the food it uncovers. 

Horseshoe crabs are ancient creatures but are threatened by habitat loss and overfishing for their blood used in vaccines. However, there's hope for their survival in the protected waters of Pangatalan Island.

Agorastos Papatsanis captured the enchanting moment when a fungus released its spores in the forest. He protected his camera from moisture with a silver umbrella and covered the flash with a plastic bag. The colorful effects are created as light passes through spore-laden air currents and rain.

Parasol mushrooms release billions of tiny spores from under their cap, which then float through the air, often unseen. Some of these spores find a place with moisture and nutrients, allowing them to grow underground networks in the forest.

Lennart Verheuvel captures the tragic end of a beached orca. Initially rescued, the orca found itself stranded on the beach again, ultimately succumbing to its severe malnourishment and illness. Research has shown that orcas in European waters have the highest concentrations of harmful chemicals, weakening their immune systems and reducing breeding success in marine mammals.

Vishnu Gopal captures a lowland tapir emerging from the Brazilian rainforest. He waited near hoofprints, and, an hour later, the tapir cautiously stepped out. Using long exposure and torchlight for texture and movement, Vishnu framed the tapir, highlighting its vital role as a seed disperser. However, this symbiotic relationship is endangered by habitat loss, illegal hunting, and traffic collisions.

Mike Korostelev photographed a mother hippopotamus and her two calves resting in a shallow, clear-water lake. He's been visiting them for over two years, and they're used to his boat. 

The author took this image in just 20 seconds to avoid alarming the mother. Hippos produce one calf every two to three years, and their slow-growing population is vulnerable to habitat degradation, drought, and illegal hunting for meat and ivory.

Sriram Murali captures a forest illuminated by fireflies in a stunning night sky. He created this image by combining fifty 19-second exposures over 16 minutes, showing the firefly flashes. These fireflies start twinkling at twilight, gradually increasing their frequency until they pulse together like a wave across the forest.

Fireflies, actually a type of beetle, use bioluminescence to attract mates, and darkness is vital for this process. Light pollution disrupts many nocturnal creatures, with fireflies being particularly affected.

Amit Eshel captures a cliffside showdown between two Nubian ibex. Hiking to a cliff-top vantage point, Amit approached carefully, using a wide-angle lens to frame the dramatic clash of these two ibexes against the rugged backdrop. 

The battle unfolded for about 15 minutes until one male submitted, and they separated without major injuries. As mating season approaches, the males' coats darken and their neck muscles bulk up. Rivals rear up on their hind legs and engage in head-butting contests, sometimes resulting in broken horns.

Carmel Bechler found barn owls in an abandoned concrete building near a busy road. He revisited the spot from the previous year with his father, using their family car as a hiding place. Carmel took advantage of natural light and extended exposure times to capture light trails from passing traffic.

Israel boasts the world's densest barn owl population. A national project has placed nesting boxes near agricultural fields, encouraging owls to nest close to farmlands. This has led to a reduction in pesticide use on farms, as barn owls help control rodent populations that can harm crops.

Rachel Bigsby captures a gannet pair against guano-painted sandstone cliffs from her boat in a rough sea swell. Her initial challenge to showcase the gannets and cliffs transformed when she spotted a pair on a lower ledge, their necks entwined, framed by guano streaks.

The Isle of Noss welcomes over 22,000 northern gannets each summer for breeding. These birds use ledges shaped by the elements. The species was heavily impacted by the 2022 avian flu outbreak.

Bertie Gregory follows orcas preparing to 'wave wash' a Weddell seal during two month-long expeditions. Battling harsh conditions, he captured this behavior using his drone.

These orcas, part of a group known for hunting seals by creating waves to wash them into the water, face a challenge. As rising temperatures reduce ice floes, seals spend more time on land, potentially endangering their 'wave washing' behavior.

Karine Aigner examines the West Texas Big Bobcat Contest, the highest-paying predator-hunting event in the USA, where contestants vie for various prizes, including the heaviest bobcat. This picture highlights the controversial hunting culture surrounding unprotected predators like bobcats, mountain lions, and coyotes, raising questions about their connection to human activities.

Juan Jesús Gonzalez Ahumada captures a jaw-dropping moment as toad tadpoles devour a drowned fledgling sparrow near their home. The image showcases nature's harsh realities as the tadpoles feast on the unfortunate sparrow that fell into a pond. Common toad tadpoles are typically herbivorous, but as they grow, their diet becomes more carnivorous, making them opportunistic predators in scenarios like this.

Knut-Sverre Horn captures a striking image of kittiwake chicks bathed in the soft glow of an abandoned fish-processing factory. From his perspective within the factory, he observed these birds caring for their young on a windowsill. As the midnight sun highlighted the scene, the birds' silhouettes became more pronounced, resulting in the desired image. Kittiwakes, typically found nesting on coastal cliffs, are increasingly moving to urban areas due to food scarcity linked to warming oceans and pollution.

Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar captures the impact of a new cross-country tourist railway line. To access the drone launch point, he navigated a challenging 2.5-mile underground cave system. The resulting image highlights the government-funded railway, which, while economically beneficial to Mexico's southeast, poses risks to ecosystems, protected areas, archaeological sites, and Indigenous communities. While trains are eco-friendly, conservationists caution against potential environmental consequences.

Joan de la Malla captures the polluted Ciliwung River in Jakarta, Indonesia, using an aerial perspective. He made several visits to find a clear view amid lower air pollution, creating a poignant image that showcases one of the world's most contaminated rivers. The photograph serves as a stark reminder of the rising global problem of river pollution. The Ciliwung River is choked with plastic waste, human sewage, agricultural chemicals, and industrial pollutants. Consequently, Jakarta's residents are forced to rely on groundwater for drinking water, leading to widespread subsidence and the city's sinking.

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