An image by South African photographer Wim van den Heever has received this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. This photo is of a rare hyena in the ghost town Kolmanskop, Namibia.
e‘Ghost Town Visitor’ has received this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award. This award has been given to the photo of a rare hyena standing in front of a building near an abandoned diamond mine in the city of Kolmanskop, Namibia. This unique picture has been taken by South African photographer Wim van den Heever. Organizers said in a statement on Tuesday that this photo could be captured after 10 years of hard work using camera trap technology. The award-winning hyena photo was one of 60,636 entries. It is one of the rarest hyena species in the world. Brown hyenas come out at night and mostly roam alone, so they are rarely seen. It was only after seeing their footprints in the city of Kolmanskop that Van started trying to take photographs using a camera trap.
feature of photo
Cathy Moran, chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year jury, said the photo shows how wild animals reclaim cities abandoned by humans. He further said, ‘It is good that it has been shot in a ghost town, that is why you feel a strange shiver when you watch it.’ Jury member Akanksha Sood Singh said that this photo is proof of how the forest is taking over human civilization again. He further said that this picture, in which the hyena symbolizes the hope of living even in the midst of destruction, is fascinating and disturbing at the same time.
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other awards
Italian photographer Andrea Domizzi won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. He received this award for his photograph of a longhorn beetle, in which it seems as if it is taking stock of old wood-cutting machines. This photo, taken by Dominizzi in the Lepini mountains of Italy, is known as ‘After the Destruction’. Brazilian photographer Fernando Fassioli won the Impact Award this time. He received this award for his photograph of an orphaned giant anteater pup following its human caretaker.
Additionally, the jury also chose winners in 19 other categories. The photographs will be shown in an exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London starting on Friday. Museum director Doug Gurr said in a statement that he is pleased that the competition, now in its 61st year, continues to be a strong platform for visual storytelling.