A badger, seemingly admiring a Banksy-style graffiti depiction of itself, has won the People's Choice Award for the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition at the Natural History Museum.
The photograph is the work of British photographer Ian Wood, taken on a quiet road in St Leonards-on-Sea, England. Wood observed the badgers coming out of a den to scavenge for food scraps initially left out for foxes.
Wood shared, I spent nearly two years photographing them, and this particular photo idea struck me. I thought it would be amusing to incorporate the graffiti and capture a badger passing beneath it, in a statement to the BBC.
The photo carries a deeper message for Wood, touching on the contentious issue of badger culling. He labeled the practice a national disgrace" and expressed, "I would trade this award instantly for the government to revoke all current badger culling licenses.
The 25 selected images for this year's People's Choice Award garnered an unprecedented 76,000 votes from enthusiasts of wildlife photography and nature worldwide.
Alongside the winning entry, four other finalists received special commendations. These five photographs will be showcased online and at the Natural History Museum in London until June 29th.
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