The image of a
white bear sleeping in a "bed" that he managed to excavate in a small
drifting
glacier won the
Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award
, the international competition that
BBC Wildlife Magazine
has promoted since 1965 and to which in 1984 joined the London History Museum.
The award-winning photo, titled
Bed on Ice
, was taken by
Nima Sarikhani
in the
Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard
.
"This moving image allows us to see
the beauty and fragility
of our planet. It invites reflection, it is a stark reminder of the
integral link between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental effects of
global warming and habitat loss
," stated director of the English Natural History Museum, Douglas Gurr.
"I feel very honored to have won this year's award. This photo has sparked
strong emotions
in many who have seen it. Although climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope this photograph also inspires
hope
. Still We have time to fix the disaster we have caused," said its author.
"Although climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope this photograph also inspires hope," said the author.
The photographer told the behind-the-scenes of the image:
after 3 days searching
for polar bears in the middle of a thick fog off the Svalbard archipelago, the expedition ship he was traveling on decided to change course and headed towards where there was still something left. of ice.
There they met two polar bears.
Shortly before midnight, the young male climbed onto a small iceberg and, with his strong claws,
scratched it to make a bed for himself
.
Nima captured the dreamlike moment when the young bear fell asleep.
A total of 25 images were submitted this year for the People's Choice Award, which received a
record number of votes
from more than 75,000 wildlife photography enthusiasts around the world.
There are also
4 other images recognized with a
special mention, from finalists who also captivated nature lovers around the world.
Among these photographs is
Israeli
Tzahi Finkelstein 's
The Happy Turtle
, a fascinating interaction between a Balkan pond turtle and a northern banded dragonfly that unexpectedly landed on its mouth.
For his part, Daniel Dencescu captured the moment when a mass of starlings swarms into the shape of a bird, in
Rome
, while two lionesses take care of one of the five cubs of the pride in
Kenya
, a photo taken by its author Mark Boyd. titled
Shared Parenting
.
The distinctions are rounded out by Audun Rikardsen's stunning capture,
Aurora Jellies
, showing two moon jellyfish (easily recognized by their four rings) illuminated by the northern lights in a
Norwegian
fjord .
The 5 photos will be exhibited both
online
and in the exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London, United Kingdom, until June 30, 2024.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year
contest
"illuminates inspiring and impactful stories from the natural world to create defenders of the planet," organizers said of the contest aimed at amateur and professional photographers.
J.S.