The World Nature Photography Awards have just announced the winners of their 2020 competition, showcasing an array of talented photographers from around the world.
The grand prize winner award went to Thomas Vijayan for his image of the endangered Bornean orangutan. Vijayan spent hours up a tree, waiting to see if one of the local orangutans would use it to cross over to a nearby island.
Adrian Dinsdale, co-founder of the WNPAs, said: “We’ve been thrilled with the quality of work that was entered into the awards. It was such a privilege to see the competition’s philosophy come to life – our photographers really are shining a spotlight on the wonders of the natural world in a way that reminds us to do everything we can to protect the future of our planet.”
Grand Prize Winner – World Nature Photographer of the Year
Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) Tanjung Puting National Park, Borneo Thomas Vijayan
Winner – Plants and Fungi Category
Bald cypress (AKA swamp cypress) East Texas, USA Doron Talmi
Winner – Bird Behaviour Category
Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) High River, Alberta, Canada Dale Paul
Winner – Nature Art Category
A glacial river flowing down to the Atlantic Ocean, Southern Iceland Dipanjan Pal
Winner – Black And White Category
Ulysses, one of the last remaining great tuskers, Kenya Harry Skeggs
Winner – Animal Portrait Category
A Bengal tigress with a catchlight in her eye lies up to her neck in the dark shadows of a water hole. Her name is Maya ‘The Enchantress’, and she has orange and black stripes with white patches on her head. Photographed in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, India Nick Dale
Winner – Amphibian and Reptiles Category
Two European common brown frogs (Rana temporaria) Aveto Regional Natural Park, Italy Vittorio Ricci
Take a look at some of our other fascinating galleries:
Winner – Invertebrates Category
Damselflies rest on a branch, Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Dr Tze Siong Tan
Winner – People and Nature Category
Andre Fajardo freediving early one summer morning in the Hawaiian Islands. Christa Funk
Winner – Mammal Behaviour Category
A pair of Lions fight on the Serengeti, Tanzania Patrick Nowotny
Second Place – Invertebrates Category
A Sea Slug photographed at the Butterfly Pavilion in Broomfield, Colorado, USA Melissa Roberston
Second Place – Animals In Their Habitat Category
Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) Bohemian Forest, Czech Republic Vladimir Cech
Second Place – Animal Portraits Category
Small skipper butterfly photographed at Belton Hills, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, UK Joseph Shaffery
Second Place – Nature Art Category
Scorched pines shot in the aftermath of a forest fire in Surrey, UK Jasper Goodall
Second Place – Urban Wildlife Category
Two smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) pups play while their mother sleeps. Photographed at Punggol, Singapore Jocelyn Chng
Second Place – Birds Category
Sedge wren (Cistothorus stellaris) does the splits at Cape Pembroke, Stanley, Falkland Islands Andy Pollard
Third Place – Nature Art Category
Parrotfish (Scaridae) photographed at Baa Atoll, Maldives Pavlos Evangelidis
Third Place – Birds Category
Clark’s grebe and newborn chick San Luis Obispo County, California, USA Lisa Roeder
Third Place – Animal Portraits Category
Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) photographed in Espelo, the Netherlands Femke van Willigen
Third Place – Amphibians and Reptiles Category
A Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cristatella) burping in its rest time on a tree’s branch. Photographed at Windsor Nature Park, Singapore Mr Endy
Third Place – Animals in their Habitat Category
Male kongoni photographed at Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda Arlette Magiera
Third Place – Invertebrate Behaviour Category
Weaver ants (Oecophylla) photographed at Alam Sutera, Serpong, Indonesia Janus Olajuan Boediman
