Taken by South African photographer Wim van den Heever in the town of Kolmanskop, the photo "Ghost Town Visitor" is the result of 10 years of work using camera trap technology.
It was one of 60,636 entries that left many viewers haunted. Here are the winning photos in each category:
"Ghost Town Visitor," a photograph of a brown hyena in Namibia by Wim van den Heever, won first prize overall and first prize in the Urban Wildlife category.
Brown hyenas are nocturnal and largely solitary, and are rarely seen, so van den Heever began using camera traps after noticing their tracks in the area.
Kathy Moran, chair of the judges for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, said the image showed how wildlife had re-established itself in a town abandoned by humans.
"It's a coincidence that this photo was taken in a ghost town," she said in a statement. "Just looking at this photo will give you the creeps and tell you that you are in hyena territory."
Juror Akanksha Sood Singh: "This image is both haunting and mesmerizing, with the lone hyena taking center stage, symbolizing the resilience of life amidst decay."
"Cat Among Flamingos" - Dennis Stogsdill won the Mammal Behavior category with this photo of a caracal eating a flamingo in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
"Dawn in the High Mountains", Lubin Godin's photo of a mountain goat in the clouds in France, won the 11-14 age category
Georgina Steytler's photo of a caterpillar eating a eucalyptus leaf won the Invertebrate Behaviour category.
"After the Destruction," Andrea Dominizi's photograph of a longhorn beetle resting on abandoned logging equipment, won the 15-17 category. Dominizi took the image in the Lepini Mountains in central Italy, which were once a source of ancient oak trees. "A compelling yet haunting image, it prompts the viewer to reflect on the nature of this fraught relationship," said jury member Andy Parkinson of Dominizi's image.
Audun Rikardsen's "Feast" of seagulls trying to feed on a fishing boat in northern Norway won the Oceans: Panorama category.
Fernando Faciole's "Orphan on the Road" won the Impact Award for his photo of an orphaned giant anteater following its caretaker at a rehabilitation center.
Jamie Smart's "The Weaver" won the under 10 prize with a photograph of a spider in its nest.
Qingrong Yang won the Behavior: Birds category with this photo of a ladyfish eating a small fish right under the nose of a heron.
Quentin Martinez's "Playful Frogs" won the Behavior: Amphibians and Reptiles category with this photo of a small group of tree frogs gathering.
A jury selected 19 winning images across categories. The images will be displayed in an exhibition opening at the Natural History Museum in London in November.
“Now in its 61st year, we are delighted to continue to offer the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards as a powerful platform for visual storytelling that showcases the diversity, beauty and complexity of the natural world and our relationship with it,” said museum director Doug Gurr.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ngam-nhung-buc-anh-vua-me-hoac-vua-ma-quai-ve-dong-vat-hoang-da-185251020150744862.htm
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