HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Josh Deleenheer

A Roosevelt elk has tangled with a hammock in Youbou, B.C., and won. The photographer contacted the B.C. Conservation Officer Service about the elk’s predicament and was told they would monitor the situation to determine if the elk needed help. Objects caught in antlers can impede an animal’s mobility or ability to feed; but if the animal seems to be coping, it is left alone until the antlers are eventually shed in the winter.

Aaron Todd

A territorial trumpeter swan charges at a pair of mute swans that have swum too close to its nest in Luther Marsh Wildlife Management Area near Grand Valley, Ont. Trumpeter swans were once extirpated from Ontario but have made a comeback thanks to reintroduction and conservation programs.

Alex Mckerracher

A metallic sweat bee gathers pollen from a flower in the arboretum at the University of Guelph, Ont. There are nearly 4,500 species of sweat bees in the world — so called because they are attracted to the salt content of human perspiration — and they exhibit a range of traits and behaviours. Some species are solitary, while others, like the green metallic sweat bee common throughout southern Ontario, nest in the bee equivalent of condos, with a shared entrance and separate units for each female and her offspring.

Jean-christophe Lemay

A lion’s mane jellyfish drifts under the surface of the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence below Cap Bon Ami in Forillon National Park, Que. One of the largest known species of jellyfish, the lion’s mane jellyfish is found in the cold waters of the north Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.

Randy Tremblay

A mountain goat shelters from the heat in a shady grove on a spring day in Jasper National Park, Alta. In spring and summer, mountain goats spend most of their time above the treeline but sometimes venture into valleys in search of salt licks.

Antal I. Kozma

A giant swallowtail butterfly probes a milkweed flower for nectar on the side of a rural road near Highgate, Ont. The butterfly has extended its range northward in recent decades due to climate change.

A word about our sponsor

It took more than the talents of our readers to make the Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year Competition a success. We gratefully acknowledge the support of our Photo Club sponsor, Nikon.

Maggie Parisé

A red fox kit cuddles up to its mother on a spring day in Montreal. Fox kits are born blind, deaf and toothless. By four weeks, their eyes are open, their teeth have come in, and guard hairs have begun to grow, giving the kits a fuzzy appearance.