Winners are selected in the Animal Behavior, Animal Portraits, Conservation, Creative Nature Photography, and Wildlife Landscape and Animals in their Habitat categories.
Winners NatureinFocus Photography Award this year were announced at the Nature inFocus festival held at the Jayamahal Palace in Bangalore, India.
ADVERTISINGFrom a poignant portrait of a bonobo nursing a baby mongoose to a fierce mating battle between male ibex in the Israeli desert, these images capture unique moments in natural history and touch upon critical conservation issues.
The winners were selected from 24,000 photos submitted by 1,500 photographers from around the world.
Here is a large collection of some of the best images from the competition.
Animal Behavior Category: Will I Eat You? by Sanhesh Dedhya.
This stunning shot captures a rare moment in natural history when a tiger catches an Indian soft-shelled turtle in a lake. The diet of a tiger in the wild can be very varied, as a cat can prey on just about anything in its territory, even a turtle!
Animal Behavior Category: Love Like No Other by Afroj Sheikh.
Under the guns of a hungry leopard, mother langur and cub had little chance of surviving. After hunting and chasing, the predator took over the prey by climbing a tree. However, the mother managed to save her offspring.
Animal Behavior Category: Stupid Union, Avinash PK.
Symbiotic relationships are plentiful in the natural world! But none of them are as sugary and sugary as the mutualistic relationship between ants and aphids. Aphids are tiny sap-sucking insects that are serious pests of plants. They secrete a sweet liquid called honeydew, the favorite food of ants! The ants protect these insects from other predators and even transfer them to the healthiest parts of the plant to keep the sweet honeydew flowing!
Conservation category: “Cry me a river”, Hiren Pagi.
From time to time, news sites report that a dead crocodile has been found in the Vishwamitri River. The image shows the conditions in which these reptiles coexist with humans and their pollution. The river has become a dumping ground for nearby establishments, putting crocodiles in great danger.
Category Wildlife and animals in their habitat: “What you do for love”, Emit Ashel
For us humans, it looks like the setting for the next Mission: Impossible, but for mountain goats, high-altitude rocky terrain is their daily bread. This vulnerable species of ibex is known for many characteristics: large semicircular horns, the ability to easily climb mountains, and the territorial fights that males engage in during mating season. Fights begin with a display of their impressive horns. If that’s not enough, they move on to pushing and shoving the opponent. Mountain goats also stand up on their hind legs to prepare for impact.
Category Wildlife and Animals in Their Habitats: Worlds Apart by Dileep SS
When you think of Dubai, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the architectural marvels that make heaven seem within reach. Tall buildings may be Dubai’s hallmark, but just a few kilometers away, another world coexists where wildlife thrives in the desert. The image juxtaposes these two worlds, towering skyscrapers and endless sands, as a reminder to look beyond concrete.
Category “Creative Nature Photography”: “All that glitters is spores” by Anirban Datta.
The bristles are the protective brightly colored hairs of the larvae of the snail moth. The shiny effect is due to the release of spores by the mushrooms. When the photographer discovered the larvae next to the spore-forming fungi, he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to capture an incredible shot!
Category of creative photography of nature: Symmetry in mimicry Arkaprava Gosh
Mimicry is considered the highest form of flattery. But in the animal kingdom, this is one of the best defense mechanisms. In this case, these dragonflies are organized on the perennial vine Phanera vahlii, resembling an inflorescence. Dragonflies also lifted their belly in the same way… It has never been so difficult to deceive a predator.
ADVERTISINGCategory Animal portraits: “Bonobo and his pet” by Christian Ziegler.
The last great ape, the bonobo, is one of our closest living relatives. Here, a wild bonobo that has caught a baby mongoose takes care of it like a pet. The bonobo later released the animal unharmed, which has only been recorded once at this site.
Category “Portraits of animals”: “Inspector Bubi” Suliman Alatika.
Brown boobies spend a significant part of their lives in the open ocean. Their clumsy nature on land means that their name comes from the Spanish word bobo, which means foolish or foolish. They are excellent swimmers and dive to eat everything from anchovies and sardines to squid and shrimp. The photographer watched as this specimen lowered its head underwater at short intervals and stood up to take a close-up portrait of the bird from the point of view of its prey.
Young photographer category: In search of the beehives Pranav Mahendru.
In the dense forests of Satpura, a pair of falcons raid a hive. These birds of prey forage in beehives and wasp nests, but contrary to their name, they prefer bee and wasp larvae to real honey.
Category of the young photographer: “Thin in the night”, Arnav Deshpande.
Like the spiders they are commonly confused with, the opilioni also have eight legs, mostly long and thin compared to the body. These are living fossils, unchanged for millions of years. On a rainy night, a young photographer spotted this specimen hiding in a crevice, raindrops glistening on its limbs.
Category Wildlife and Animals in Their Habitat: “Land of Stripes”, Amit Vyas
If the essence of Ranthambore National Park in India could be captured in just one frame, this would be it. When a tiger chooses the right moment to show itself, it seems too good to be true. The historic landscape architecture and azure backdrop create an almost magical image.
ADVERTISINGCategory Wildlife and animals in their habitat: “The rarest of all”, Sergey Gorshkov
The Amur leopard is one of the rarest big cats in the world. This endangered feline faces several threats, including poaching for its fur. Although its habitat is in large areas of Russia and China, these leopards are also threatened by a shortage of their prey.
Animal Behavior Category: “It’s a world of cats that eat cats”, Kartik Mohan Iyer.
Although tigers and leopards share the same prey, they tend not to clash and stay away from each other. But when they are threatened by competition, tigers can shoot off other predators in their territory, such as leopards.
Animal Behavior Category: Light Will Bring You Home by Merche Lbera
A pod of dolphins dive back into the beautifully lit waters of the Pacific Ocean, resulting in this stunning whale avalanche scene. One of the dolphins looks into the camera lens, adding curiosity to the frame.
Young Photographer Category: Gecko’s Garage by Vidyun Hebbar.
Andaman day gecko or emerald green gecko is a brightly colored gecko. The young photographer was on vacation when he spotted this shy creature lurking in the glowing shadows.