Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/NEW DEHLI: A striking click of a snow leopard gazing across mountains in India has won the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award’ this year.
Sascha Fonseca, a German photographer, won the renowned competition with “World of the Snow Leopard,” which received a record 60,466 votes from nature lovers.
Fonseca used a camera trap to photograph the rarely-seen large cat in Ladakh, northern India, at dusk against a mountainous landscape.
The image was chosen from a shortlist of 25 by the Natural History Museum in London out of almost 39,000 submissions. It is now on view through July 2 in the museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year show.
Just 6,500 adult snow leopards have been living in the wild
It is estimated that just 6,500 adult snow leopards have been living in the wild recently, and their existence is threatened by habitat loss, conflict with humans, and poaching.
While thanking everyone who voted for his picture, Fonseca said in a statement that the museum released: “Photographer through its camera can connect people to the wildlife and encourage them to appreciate the beauty of the hidden natural world. A good understanding of wildlife leads to deeper caring, hopefully resulting in active support and greater public interest for conservation.”
Natural History Museum director Douglas Gurr said: “A result of perseverance and dedication, Sascha’s remarkable image reminds us of our shared responsibility to protect our planet, and it captures the breathtaking beauty.”
One of the four photos chosen as “highly commended” also has a leopard; however, it’s not a snow leopard. Igor Altuna captured a leopard cradling a dead monkey and its kid in “Holding on.”
Red foxes can be seen cuddling in Brittany Crossman’s “Fox affection,” while Martin Gregus’ “Among the flowers” depicts a polar bear pup playing on the Canadian coast of Hudson Bay. In Kenya’s Maasai Mara, a gorgeous male lion is shown in Marina Cano’s painting “Portrait of Olobor.”
In a statement, The Natural History Museum said that the exhibition harnesses the “unique emotive power” of photography to “shine a light on species and stories around the world” and help create advocates for the planet.
