An image of a slumbering polar bear curled up on an iceberg has been selected as the winner of this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.
The image, titled “Ice Bed,” was captured by British amateur photographer Nima Sarikhani in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago.
Calling the winning an award an honour, Sarikhani said that the image “stirred strong emotions,” such as hope, in those who saw it.He also emphasized the importance of addressing climate change, stating that there is still time to rectify the damage we have caused.
The competition received an overwhelming response, with over 75,000 people participating in the voting process – a record-breaking number. Out of the 50,000 entries, “Ice Bed” was selected from a shortlist of 25 images.
The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is curated by the Natural History Museum in London. Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, described the winning shot as “poignant” and “breathtaking.”
The “thought-provoking image is a stark reminder of the integral bond between an animal and its habitat and serves as a visual representation of the detrimental impacts of climate warming and habitat loss,” Gurr said in the release.
Alongside the winner, four other images were highly commended. All five photographs will be on display at the Natural History Museum in London until June 30.

A photo of a polar bear sleeping on an iceberg has won the People Choice category in a wildlife photography competition run by the National History Museum in the UK. 

Called the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the competition attracted more than 50,000 entries from around the world. 

Judges announced the overall winner in October, with the grand title taken out by Laurent Ballesta for his photo of a horseshow crab with three little golden trevally fish swimming above it. 

Of the 50,000 images, there were only 100 finalists. 

Then the judges and the museum shortlisted 25 images to be displayed in the London museum, with members of the public asked to vote for their favourite. 

Overnight, the museum announced that Nima Sarikhani’s photo, called Ice Bed, was the public’s top pick.

The UK photographer took the image while on an expedition vessel in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago.

“Having spent three days searching for polar bears through thick fog, the expedition vessel I was on decided to change course,” Sarikhani explained on Instagram. 

“It turned and headed to where there was still some sea ice.

“Here we encountered a younger and an older male and watched the pair over the following eight hours.

“Just before midnight, the young male clambered onto a small iceberg and, using his strong paws, clawed away at it to carve out a bed for himself.”

The photographer said it was an honour to be named the public’s favourite. 

“I love that this image stirs so much emotion in people,” Sarikhani said in a statement. 

“Some find it happy and peaceful, and some find it somehow melancholic or ominous.

“Whilst climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope that this photograph also inspires hope; there is still time to fix the mess we have caused.”

Top four images

While the polar bear image was the winner, four others were awarded highly commended prizes.  

Other photos in the running

The top five images were selected by the public from a shortlist of 25 photo, with the museum saying they were all memorable images

Two photos in the selection were taken in Australia. 

The one below was taken by Charles Davis in the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales. 

It shows a wood duck and her ducklings

The second Australian photo came from Ofer Levy, who took the photo below in Western Australia’s Roebuck Bay.

It shows challenge between a territorial mudskipper and a trespassing crab.

Here are other images the public voted on. 

Check out this pawsitively adorable snap of a polar bear catching some z’s on an iceberg.

It stole the hearts of thousands, and it snagged the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.

British photographer Nima Sarikhani’s “Ice Bed” won the top spot in the 59th annual Natural History Museum of London contest with a whopping 75,000 votes, beating about 50,000 other (also beautiful) entries from over 100 countries, according to a press release by the museum.

After three days of searching on the Svalbard archipelago of Norway, Sarikhani finally stumbled upon a couple of bears. He began following the majestic creatures, and after eight hours, the little fella got tired and started to craft a makeshift bed with his sharp claws. Sarikhani saw an opportunity and took it!

“I am so honored to have won this year’s People’s Choice award for Wildlife Photography of the Year, the most prestigious wildlife photography competition. This photograph has stirred strong emotions in many of those who have seen it,” Sarikhani told the museum. “Whilst climate change is the biggest challenge we face, I hope that this photograph also inspires hope. There is still time to fix the mess we have caused.” 

According to the museum, Svalbard is home to one of the 19 global populations of polar bears, with approximately 300 bears residing in the area. However, due to global warming, the bear’s habitat in Svalbard is melting away as temperatures have risen by 3-5 degrees Celsius since the 1970s.

“The period with sea ice over shallower water in much of the area is now much shorter than it was a few decades ago,” Jon Aars, a researcher with the Norwegian Polar Institute, told the museum. “The loss of sea ice also affects other aspects of their lifestyle. For example, the bears often no longer reach areas in the East that have traditionally been important for building dens. Instead, the bears are now often found hundreds of kilometers closer to the North pole, where the sea ice tends to be.”

For now, Svalbard’s polar bear population is stable, but the changing temperatures could affect the numbers in the future, the museum warns.

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Wyoming Public Media Traveling Photography

A traveling display of 14 framed photos from the 2023 Wyoming Public Media Photo Contest Wyoming “Through Listeners’ Eyes”! will be traveling around Wyoming this year.

Schedule:

March 1^st Coal Creek Coffee Downtown location
April 1^st Coal Creek Coffee Uptown location

Advertising Opportunities:

If you are interested in having the Traveling Display at your business, please let us know, we are hoping to have 12 different locations across Wyoming.

We will be doing on-air promotions, staff meet and greets, and social media advertising.

Contact:

Mike Gray, Wyoming Public Media – mgray14@uwyo.edu

Or call 800-729-5897 | 307-766-4240

Winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award announced

Lynda Kinkade shows stunning images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, following a contest in which a record 75,000 people voted. The competition is produced by the Natural History Museum in London, where the images will be showcased.