The winning images for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019 were announced on October 15, and a shot of standoff between a Tibetan fox and a marmot leads the list. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London, who hailed the image by Chinese photographer Yongqing Bao as "extraordinary".
Hailing from the Chinese province of Qinghai, Yongqing Bao captured his winning image at the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in early spring. Titled 'The Moment', it shows the predator mid-move, teeth bared in front of her terrified prey.
The fox surprised the marmot as it ventured out of its burrow and the fight that ensued resulted in the rodent's death. "That's nature," said Yongqing Bao, according to BBC.
Chair of the judging panel, Roz Kidman Cox, said of the startling image: "Photographically, it is quite simply the perfect moment. The expressive intensity of the postures holds you transfixed."
She added that images from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are "rare enough", but capturing the interaction between two species key to the ecology of this high-grassland region is "extraordinary."
The Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2019 title was awarded to Cruz Erdmann from New Zealand, who also won the 11-14 years old category. His photograph, 'Night Glow', shows an iridescent big fin reef squid and was clicked in Indonesia.
Mr Cruz and Mr Bao's photographs beat over 48,000 entries from 100 countries to take the top spots. They will be showcased at an exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London before touring across the UK and internationally to locations such as Canada, Spain, the USA, Australia and Germany.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
