Photo of baby gorilla hugging the man who saved her chosen as photograph of the year
This heart-warming image of a gentle moment between a gorilla and a rescuers who saved her from being slaughtered is the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award beating nearly 50,000 images to win the much respected prize.
Canadian photographer Jo-anne Mcarthur’s shot, called ‘Pikin and Appolinaire’ emerged as the favorite, dailymail.co.uk wrote.
Jo-anne’s image was chosen from a shortlist of 24, selected by the Natural History Museum from almost 50,000 entries submitted for the 2017 competition.
It shows Pikin, a lowland gorilla, in the arms of Appolinaire Ndohoudou, who had just rescued her from being sold for bush meat.
Appolinaire works for Ape Action Africa. He was moving Pikin from her former enclosure within a safe forest sanctuary in Cameroon to a new and larger one, along with a group of gorilla companions. She was first sedated, but during the transfer to the new enclosure she awoke.
As she was in the arms of her caretaker, she remained calm for the bumpy ride.
Jo-anne said: “I’m so thankful that this image resonated with people and I hope it might inspire us all to care a little bit more about animals.
“No act of compassion towards them is ever too small. I regularly document the cruelties animals endure at our hands, but sometimes I bear witness to stories of rescue, hope and redemption. Such is the case with the story of Pikin and Appolinaire, a beautiful moment between friends.”
Like Pikin, Appolinaire Ndohoudou was forced from his home, having fled Chad because of a civil war.
As he rebuilt his life in Cameroon, his work in protecting wild animals revived his appreciation for the natural world.
He has built loving relationships with the gorillas he helps to rear — some of these animals have known him almost all their lives
The picture will be showcased in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum in London until it closes on May 28.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the Natural History Museum’s annual showcase of the world’s best nature photography and wildlife photojournalism on one global platform.
Seen by millions of people all over the world, the images shine a spotlight on nature photography as an art form, whilst challenging us to address the big questions facing our planet.
The Natural History Museum has also released the four finalists and 24 shortlisted images.
One of the four finalist was taken by Ray Chin, from Taiwan.
It shows two humpback whales around the island of Vava’u, Tonga.
The mother and calf were migrating south from their Antarctic feeding grounds to give birth in warm water off Tonga, in the South Pacific, a journey humpback whales take every year from July to late October.