February 20, 2019 The winners of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year photo contest were announced in October 2018, but […]
February 20, 2019
The winners of the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year photo contest were announced in October 2018, but now the National History Museum has followed it up with the top People’s Choice shots. The winning image this year shows a special moment between male lions.
Capturing a tender moment between two male lions, most likely brothers, in the Ndutu area of the Serengeti, Tanzania, David Lloyd said he was honored to have witnessed such a sentient moment between animals. The lions greeted each other, rubbed faces and nuzzled for around 30 seconds, an unusually long time, but long enough for him to capture it.
David says, “I’m so pleased that this image did well, because it illustrates the emotion and feeling of animals and emphasizes that this is not limited to humans. It is something I think more people need to be aware of for the sake of all animals.”
Director of the Natural History Museum, Sir Michael Dixon, says, “Lions are individuals with complex social bonds, and David’s winning picture provides a glimpse into their inner world. A truly stunning photograph, this intimate portrait reminds us that humans aren’t the only sentient beings on this planet. I hope the empathy and wonder garnered by this image will inspire more people to become advocates for nature.”
The photo was selected as the favorite fan photo from among 25 shortlisted images (selected from 45,000 submissions) through a vote of 16,000 nature photography fans. It now receives the Wildlife Photographer of the Year LUMIX People’s Choice Award.
Here are four other photos that made it into the top 5 by being “Highly Commended”:
“One Toy, Three Dogs” by Bence Mate, Hungary
While adult African wild dogs are merciless killers, their pups are extremely cute and play all day long. Bence photographed these brothers in Mkuze, South Africa–they all wanted to play with the leg of an impala and were trying to drag it in three different directions!
“Fox Meets Fox” by Matthew Maran, UK
Matthew has been photographing foxes close to his home in north London for over a year and ever since spotting this street art had dreamt of capturing this image. After countless hours and many failed attempts, his persistence paid off.
“Three Kings” by Wim Van Den Heever, South Africa
Wim came across these king penguins on a beach in the Falkland Islands just as the sun was rising. They were caught up in a fascinating mating behavior–the two males were constantly moving around the female using their flippers to fend the other off.
“A Polar Bear’s Struggle” by Justin Hofman, USA
Justin’s whole body pained as he watched this starving polar bear at an abandoned hunter’s camp, in the Canadian Arctic, slowly heave itself up to standing. With little, and thinning, ice to move around on, the bear is unable to search for food.