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2022
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Far and Wild Video

Get insights from 2020 BigPicture judges and award-winners and hear how they captured those images. Watch the video.

grand prize winner

Black Grouse Showing Off

Tromsø, Norway
Audun Rikardsen | Tromsø, Norway

Grand Prize

Camouflage Rhino

Bee Balling

Texas, United States

A rare moment captured up close: Diadasia rinconis (Cactus Bees) swarming together in a mating ball, each male eager to become companions with a female. Native to America, these bees are considered a solitary species, meaning they live without the hierarchy and structure of their European counterparts—though they still work to pollinate cacti and help plants in the American southwest thrive.

Karine Aigner

Washington, United States

Award-winning photojournalist Karine Aigner leads a life that reads like a set of novellas. Raised in Saudi Arabia, Karine has traveled extensively to places like Taiwan, Africa, and the Galapagos in the pursuit of photography. Amidst her travels, she served as the Senior Picture Editor for National Geographic for nine years. Now, Karine’s an associate fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers and a member of Girls Who Click. Her work has been found in many prestigious publications, including National Geographic Magazine, BBC Wildlife and Biographic, to name a few.

See Karine's behind-the-scenes video

Grand prize winner

Bee Balling

‍Karine Aigner | Washington, United States
Texas, United States

Need stuff here too.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Joseph Platko | Marina, United States

waters devoid of summer algal blooms—which typically coincide with the invasion of Monterey Bay by Pacific sea nettles.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Tony Wu | Yokohama, Japan

Shooting Star

Kagoshima, Japan
An illuminating look at how sea stars reproduce—and it’s not by conjuring lightning! Sea stars spawn; releasing eggs and sperm simultaneously from their arms into the water, where fertilization occurs.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Amos Nachoum | Pacific Grove, United States

Facing Reality

Pleneau Island, Antarctic Peninsula
The young gentoo penguin jumped into the lagoon to play during low tide, and was ambushed by the leopard seal, which had been lying in wait.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Marek Jackowski | Poznań, Poland

Treasure on Ice

Svalbard, Norway
‍As the disappearance of sea ice due to climate change becomes more evident, polar bears are rapidly losing their habitat. At dusk, this lucky male settled down on a small iceberg—a refuge for the night.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Andy Schmid | Kleindöttingen, Switzerland

Orcas Under the Arctic Sun

Skjervøy, Norway
‍Drawn to the fjord in search of herring that shelter from the open ocean each winter, this curious but protective orca mother allowed the photographer to swim nearby during the single hour that the sun shines through the fjord and into the water in mid-November.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Mike Korostelev | Moscow, Russia

Private Moment of Milk Feeding

Indian Ocean
‍A pod of sperm whales tolerated the photographer’s proximity long enough for him to catch one of the mothers nursing her baby, almost at the water’s surface. Not so easy to hold your breath and drink at the same time—for the baby whale, that is.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Cristina Mittermeier | Nanoose Bay, Canada

Crabeater Ice Palace

Antarctic Peninsula
‍Crabeater seals lounged on an Antarctic iceberg as the photographer passed by on an inflatable boat. This expedition photograph was created as an argument for the protection of the Antarctic Peninsula—where billions of tons of sea ice have been lost—as the largest sanctuary on Earth.

Aquatic Life Finalist

Tom Shlesinger | Eilat, Israel

Underwater Colorful Snowstorm

Eilat, Israel
Catching a coral spawning is tricky business! Occurring only once a year and determined by the lunar cycle, this spectacular event can last anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks depending on the coral’s species and location. This photographer spent years attempting to get the timing just right during free-diving efforts, finally snapping an image of this magical underwater snowstorm— during a June dive.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Magnus Lundgren | Skanor, Sweden

Weedy Scorpionfish

LongDong, Taiwan
Nocturnal hunting sensibilities and the ability to camouflage make sightings of the brilliantly colorful Weedy Scorpionfish ironically rare. This stealthy species attracts prey by blending in with their surroundings all while remaining completely still. You might say this makes them the perfect photography subject—but only if you can find them!

Aquatic Life Finalist

Jens Cullman | Nuremberg, Germany

Danger in the Mud

Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe
Though the Mana Pools National Park has been beset by an ongoing drought, this photographer managed to discover a captivating crocodile lying in wait in a nearly dried out pool. These muddy pools are often the site of wildlife rescues, including two baby elephants in February of 2022.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Domenico Roscigno | Torre Annunziata, Italy

Curious Co-Parenting

Taranto, Italy
A male Goby Fish protects the female's eggs laid inside a shell alongside a pregnant Long-Snouted Seahorse. It remains unknown whether they are working together to protect their potential offspring.

Aquatic Life Finalist

‍Tom Shlesinger | Eilat, Israel

Goliath in Lilliput

Palm Beach, United States
While capturing this image, the photographer was reminded of a moment in Gulliver’s Travels: When Gulliver arrives at Lilliput and sees how he towers above the inhabitants, he walks carefully so as not to hurt them. However, it is unlikely that this Goliath Grouper—typically the predator in any scenario—will tread lightly.

Aquatic Life

View Finalists in this category
Camouflage Rhino

Sea Lion Fall

Monterey Bay, United States

Batstars encompass a lifeless sea lion at the bottom of Monterey Bay. While this scene appears melancholic, rest assured the sea lion is giving back to the community with which it once swam. When the batstars have had their fill, any number of creatures big and small will be able to derive energy and shelter from what’s left behind for years to come.

David Slater

Monterey Bay, United States

David Slater is a self-taught photographer whose penchant for the water originated when he was a young Floridan. After serving as a diving instructor at University of Hawaii at Manoa, David’s connection to underwater photography deepened. He now resides in Monterey Bay, where he enjoys cold-water diving and exploring the kelp forests just off the shore.

See David's behind-the-scenes video

Aquatic Life winner

Sea Lion Fall

David Slater | Monterey Bay, United States
Monterey Bay, United States

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

‍Ruben Perez Novo | Naron (La Coruña), Spain

Between Fennels

Ares (La Coruña,) Spain
When this caterpillar goes through metamorphosis, it will emerge as the gorgeous papilio machaon—named for a Greecian mythological figure from the Trojan War. For now, it will crawl among the fennels, occasionally munching on them for lunch.

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

‍Sandesh Kadur | Bangalore, India

Ghost of the Mountains

Ladakh, India
Snow leopards are masters of disguise, able to camouflage quickly in their harsh, mountainous habitats. Before technological advancements in trap photography, one could only catch a fleeting glimpse—thus earning them the nickname ‘ghost of the mountains’.

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

James Gifford | Maun, Botswana

Road to Nowhere

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana
Historically, Botswana's huge expanse of Makgadikgadi Salt Pans sees very little wildlife outside of the rainy season. In 2021, a combination of unusually heavy early rain and an increase in artificial waterholes enticed these wildebeests to embark on their annual migration much earlier than normal. Between the vastness of the salt pans and the network of gamepaths, this herd only appears to be on a road to nowhere. 

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

Jose Grandio | Irún, Spain

The Stoat's Game

The French Alps
Its formerly brown coat now completely white thanks to the cold climate, a stoat makes an unusual appearance from its underground burrow to give our photographer a glimpse during an unexpected wintry jump. Could it be joy?

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

Jaime Culebras | Cáceres, Spain

Embryology

Yanayacu Biological Station, Napo Province, Ecuador
A gelatinous mass of developing glass frog embryos hangs from a leaf over a stream. Unfortunately, not much is known about nymphargus wiley; in fact, this species is listed as data deficient on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

TERRESTRIAL WILDLIFE Finalist

Takuya Ishiguro | Osaki-shi Miyagi-ken, Japan

Prey

Osaki-shi Miyagi-ken, Japan
Normally found in humid grasslands, this Chinese mantid (Tenodera aridifolia) makes an unexpected roadside appearance while devouring its mate—a not uncommon act sometimes, but not always, reserved for when prey is scarce and the female is very hungry.

Terrestrial Wildlife

View Finalists in this category
Camouflage Rhino

Spider Web

Kiskunsag National Park, Hungary

Once nearing extinction, the European Beaver population now flourishes under new protections, allowing for renewed photography opportunities. However, this beaver’s presence is not the only moment that makes this shot  special—a spider in its web clings to the nearly-gnawed-through tree, making for a spectacular, if short-lived, scene.

Bence Máté

Pusztaszer, Hungary

Bence Máté is a Hungarian wildlife photographer, and designs specialized photography hides that allow wildlife imagery to be safely captured. He is the only person to be voted both 'Young Wildlife Photographer of The Year' and 'Wildlife Photographer of The Year', in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of The Year competition.

See Bence's behind-the-scenes video

terrestrial wildlife winner

Spider Web

‍Bence Máté | Pusztaszer, Hungary
Kiskunsag National Park, Hungary

Winged life finalist

Benjamin Olson | Farmington, United States

Hey, Good Lookin'

Baudette, Minnesota, United States
Perched on a log used to attract mates, this ruffed grouse is displaying for a female just out of frame. The photographer notes that normally the male would be drumming (beating his wings on his chest), but due to the camera trap delay, he instead captured a fanning display—something he’d never seen on a drumming log before.

Winged life finalist

Piotr Naskrecki | Cambridge, United States

Young Hunters

Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique
Managing to catch some young saddle-billed storks during an early morning hunt, this photographer found they were a little shy, and thus difficult to photograph. Still in the early stages of learning to feed themselves, he noticed that as one young stork successfully caught a fish, it would be immediately mobbed by other young storks.

Winged life finalist

Mario Cea Sánchez | Salamanca, Spain

The Forest Elf

Salamanca, Spain
Though a common species in Spain, the Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is agile and hard to photograph as it spends most of its life in the trees—thus earning the title ‘the forest elf’.

Winged life finalist

Bence Mate | Pusztaszer, Hungary

Table Manners

Pusztaszer, Hungary
After hours of observing spot-billed pelicans diving in for a bite, this photographer determined the best possible shooting angle. The resulting photograph captures a very unconventional silhouette of a spot-billed pelican dropping in for lunch.

Winged life finalist

Pallavi Laveti | Mumbai, India

A Feathered Home

Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India
In early November, this photographer went through a challenging process—from a distance, and on a moving boat— to capture images of these prehistoric-looking spot-billed pelican chicks. Her efforts paid off, as she’d hoped to produce a photo that evokes emotions of nurturing and safety.

Winged life finalist

Takuya Ishiguro | Osaki-shi Miyagi-ken, Japan

Beautiful Wings

Osaki-shi Miyagi-ken, Japan
Taken while the dragonfly rested in a swamp, this photographer’s close-up allows its magnificent wingspan to truly shine. Dragonflies in cooler climates tend to have more color in their wings than their warmer temperature counterparts, which makes a rainbow-winged dragonfly in the historically hot and humid July weather in Japan so dramatic.

Winged Life

View Finalists in this category
Camouflage Rhino

Frame Within A Frame

Badlapur, India

A fruit bat majestically makes its way to a custard apple tree for a feast, finding itself perfectly placed within the canopy opening. It’s no coincidence that the framing is so precise; the photographer spent nearly three weeks observing these bats’ behavior as they frequented the fruit tree, learning their habits and finally capturing this photo when the moment presented itself.

Sitaram Raul

Badlapur, India

Sitaram is an award-winning,  India-based wildlife photographer who lives in Badlapur Maharashtra. He started photography as a hobby, slowly growing his  passion into a career over the span of 10 years, and now works full-time as a commercial photographer. 

See Sitaram's behind-the-scenes video

Winged life winner

Frame Within A Frame

Sitaram Raul | Badlapur, India
Badlapur, India

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Bart Heirweg | Oudenaarde, Belgium

Ice Cream Cake

Disko Bay, Ilulissat, Greenland
A fluffy iceberg set against a gorgeous purple sky, illuminated by a red-hued moon. The photographer hoped to show the soft (serve) side to icebergs, which are often presented as imposing, even threatening subjects. Nature has never looked more delicious!

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Silvano Paiola | Negrar di Valpolicella, Italy

City of Angels

Pecinci, Obedska Bara, Serbia
Spindly, spectral arms reach out as a drone flies overhead—is this a snow-coated black poplar forest or a ghostly retreat?

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Juan Jesús González Ahumada | Málaga,  Spain

The Forest Nymphs

Sierra Blanca Natural park, Ojén, Málaga, Andalucía, Spain
These mystical-looking mushrooms (mycelia seynii quél) grow almost exclusively on fallen pine cones. Set against the magical atmosphere of an autumn afternoon, the photographer felt the image evoked visions of fairies.

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Nell Dickerson | Memphis, United States

Behind the Veil

Sossusvlei Desert, Skeleton Coast, Namibia
A photographer captures a stunning, seemingly interplanetary sunset scene during her first aerial photoshoot in the Sossusvlei Desert. Roughly translated to ‘dead-end marsh’, this desert serves as the southern end of the Namib, the oldest desert in the world. Due to COVID lockdowns in Africa, the photographer was alone for four weeks and felt she had the entire, expansive desert to herself, creating an image that reflects the magnitude of her solitude.

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Ellen Woods | Middletown, United States

Beauty is Ephemeral 

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, United States
Tucked under umbrella-like leaves, mayapple flowers typically remain hidden from the view of human onlookers. Because they often escape the attention of pollinators too, mayapples rely on a different strategy: having attractive friends. Mayapple plants neighboring nectar-producing species bear more fruit and seed than those further away, indicating that infrequent, incidental visits by nectar-searching pollinators are integral to mayapple’s reproductive success. After pollination, mayapple plants go on to produce their namesake: a small green fruit. 

LANDSCAPES, WATERSCAPES, AND FLORA FINALIST

Nicolas Raspiengeas | La Teste-de-Buch, France

Oasis

Pelkosenniemi, Finland
Tucked in the Arctic north of the Finnish Lapland, boreal forests such as these have often been subjects of photography. Hoping to bring a broader vision to a familiar space, this photographer set out to forefront the connection between the forest and nearby wetlands.

Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora

View Finalists in this category
Camouflage Rhino

The Hidden Beauty Beneath Our Feet

Muyil, Quintana Roo, Mexico

In taking this photograph, the photographer wished  to highlight the incredible natural beauty found in the underwater cave systems of Mexico's Riviera Maya, but also to draw attention to threats to its fragile ecosystem. Even though these caves are an important part of the aquifer, they are under increasing tourism pressures leading to the over-development of the region. A large-scale rail link across the whole of the Yucatan Peninsula is currently in the process of being built, putting both jungle and cave in danger—as well as potentially displacing local Mayan communities. 

Tom St. George

Tulum, Mexico

Tom St. George has always had a passion for photography and discovered scuba diving when he emigrated to New Zealand at age 30. It was a natural progression for him to take his photography underwater; but it was only when he moved to Mexico 10 years ago that he realized he wanted to document the natural beauty of the cenotes and caves of the Riviera Maya in order to share it with a larger audience. 

See Tom's behind-the-scenes video

Landscapes, Waterscapes, and Flora winner

The Hidden Beauty Beneath Our Feet

‍Tom St. George | Tulum, Mexico
Muyil, Quintana Roo, Mexico

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Armand Sarlangue | Nantes, France

Life Vessels

Highlands, Iceland
While on location to shoot the Fagradalsjfall volcano, the photographer was determined to take an aerial photo of the Icelandic Highlands. During the last few days of his trip, he was finally able to secure a pilot and captured these brilliant green lines of vegetation sprouting through the black volcanic ground.

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Sergio Tapia | Seville, Spain

Abstract Painting

Huelva, Spain
What might appear to be a de Kooning painting is actually a collection of common algae painstakingly captured in a Spanish reservoir. After a three-day wait for the water levels to drop and make the green algae visible, the photographer was rewarded with this dramatic image.

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Steve Mandel | Soquel, United States

Gold From The Bay

San Francisco, United States
Should you find these under your microscope, you’ve discovered something as valuable as gold– these diatoms absorb CO2 and help produce 20-30% of Earth’s oxygen. Collected from the San Francisco Bay, the photographer notes that these diatom’s colors are the result of the light being routed around the sides of the slide in the microscope, then refracted by the structure of the diatom wall.

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Julie Kenny | Perth, Australia

Crossing Paths

Scaddan, Goldfields-Esperance Region, Australia
Emu footprints taken from a drone above an Australian salt lake create a dramatic contrast of pattern and texture. While technology enabled the photographer to capture such an image, she acknowledges that this perspective has been documented by Aboriginal people for thousands of years.

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Florian Ledoux | Tromso, Norway

The Last Frontier

Svalbard, Norway
The dichotomy of sea ice scene, taken from above. On the right side is fast ice, where both man and polar bear can roam, to the left, a beautiful, yet precarious pattern of refreezing ice and drift. 

ART OF NATURE FINALIST

Juan Jesús González Ahumada | Málaga, Spain

Hero

Sierra Blanca Natural Park, Spain
Agave leaves tend to become extremely heavy, sometimes even bending and producing a ‘wound’ that creates unusual textures when it dries. This photographer noticed this particular agave leaf and saw a superhero in the making, taking advantage of the curvature of the leaf, and lighting the scene with his flashlight to produce a single, watchful eye.

Art of Nature

View Finalists in this category
Camouflage Rhino

Insect Diversity

Ski, Norway

A tragically beautiful tapestry of insects— inadvertently killed after being drawn to an outdoor lamp with an unintentional opening. While cleaning the light, the photographer discovered a veritable treasure trove of dead insects and decided to create this collage demonstrating the expansive, if overlooked, diversity of small, winged insects. 

Pål Hermansen

Ski, Norway

During Pål Hermansen’s 50 years of photography experience he has published at least 40 books. He has been featured in prestigious publications like National Geographic, GEO, and BBC Wildlife Magazine and has been awarded by such competitions as World Press Photo, Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and BigPicture. He was listed as one out of ten world top nature photographers in the Natural History Museum's/BBC’s 2013 "Masters of Nature Photography" awards. 

See Pål's behind-the-scenes video

art of nature winner

Insect Diversity

‍Pål Hermansen | Ski, Norway
Ski, Norway

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar | Yucatán, Mexico

Face To Face

Río Secreto Nature Reserve, Mexico
One of the most emblematic species in Mexico, this endangered jaguar comes face to face with a potential meal. Likely in such a location due to deforestation and habitat destruction, Mexican wildlife has gotten closer to human settlements—a fact which usually spells disaster for these creatures.

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Arturo Rodríguez | Santa Cruz de La Palma, Spain

Cumbre Vieja Volcano

Canary Islands, Spain
After chasing the opportunity for nearly two weeks, this photographer was able to accompany intrepid volcanologist Raul Pérez to collect liquid lava samples and measure temperature close to the volcano vent. Though its destruction potential is debated, the Cumbre Vieja Volcano is hypothesized to have the potential to create a megatsunami that could reach as far as North America, making any further discoveries about its volatility extremely important.

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Matt Theophile | Canberra, Australia

Blue Steel

Australian National Botanical Gardens, Australia
A male Bowerbird strikes a pose for a female in the background, surrounded by bright blue bottle caps. It’s all part of an elaborate mating ritual wherein these birds build bowers: two-structure columns made out of sticks and colorful objects. The males then take one or two of the objects in their mouth while dramatically displaying their feathers to the female. 

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Marcus Westberg | Ericeira, Portugal

Greenwashing

Dalarna, Sweden
A lone bird house tops one of the spared Scots pine trees in the vast, deforested expanse of Sweden. The photographer wanted to demonstrate what seemingly ‘conservationist’ tree-cutting actually looks like: leaving a few trees avoids the 'clear-cut'' label, and similar scenes include trees adorned with ribbons reading "consideration" or "nature conservation". 

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

Peter Mather | Whitehorse, Canada

Fox City

Whitehorse, Canada
After working with them for months, this photographer got to know the behavior of the local red foxes well enough to anticipate this one's arrival at a favorite outcrop overlooking the city. 

HUMAN/NATURE FINALIST

David Hup | Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dancing Bears

Comanesti, Romania
Home to 60% of Europe's brown bears, Romania has a complicated relationship with these animals given their increasing presence in human environs. Between Christmas and New Year’s, several communities across Romania don ensembles made from these bears for a ritual aptly called the Dance of the Bears—a dance performed in hopes of chasing away evil spirits and welcoming in the new year.

Human/Nature

View Finalists in this category
Camouflage Rhino

Sickening Delicacy

Covasna, Romania

While traveling in Romania’s Carpathian region, this photographer happened upon frogs being hunted at spawning time. After their legs are removed for consumption, the frogs’ remains are thrown back into the water— a horrific swirl of spawn and viscera, expertly composed into a heart-breakingly tragic scene.

Bence Máté

Pusztaszer, Hungary

Bence Máté is a Hungarian wildlife photographer, and designs specialized photography hides that allow wildlife imagery to be safely captured. He is the only person to be voted both 'Young Wildlife Photographer of The Year' and 'Wildlife Photographer of The Year', in  the BBC Wildlife Photographer of The Year competition.

See Bence's behind-the-scenes video

human/nature winner

Sickening Delicacy

‍Bence Máté| Pusztaszer, Hungary
Covasna, Romania

PHOTO STORY: Taking action

Nayan Khanolkar | Mumbai, India

Coexistence With Predators 1/6

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, India
A sobering look at the thin “divide” between the jungle and Mumbai, showing clearly how the leopards who roam the city can easily access it.

PHOTO STORY: Taking action

Nayan Khanolkar | Mumbai, India

Coexistence With Predators 2/6

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, India
This leopard is making a midnight move, the lights of Mumbai creeping close behind it.

PHOTO STORY: taking action

Nayan Khanolkar | Mumbai, India

Coexistence With Predators 3/6

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, India
In 2004 there were numerous attacks on humans by leopards in Mumbai, forcing the need for their capture and rehoming in the National Park. Of these leopards was the pictured Radhika, though it is unknown if she was among the leopards who attacked people.

PHOTO STORY: taking action

Nayan Khanolkar | Mumbai, India

Coexistence With Predators 4/6

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, India
A wide-eyed leopard is collared, a joint effort conducted by Wildlife Conservation Society, the Maharashtra Forest Department, and Wildlife Institute of India. This tracking project helps these organizations better understand the big cat’s behavior and movements, as well as their adaptations to the urban landscape.

PHOTO STORY: taking action

Nayan Khanolkar | Mumbai, India

Coexistence With Predators 5/6

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, India
Dinesh Barap, a Warli artist from Mumbai, stands proudly in front of an artwork of the Waghoba, a half leopard, half-tiger deity worshiped by the Warlis—and believed to protect them from the downsides of sharing space with big cats. This indigenous community has lived side-by-side with leopards and other cats for centuries, and the photographer believes much can be learned from them about coexisting with these creatures.

PHOTO STORY: Taking action

Nayan Khanolkar | Mumbai, India

Coexistence With Predators 6/6

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, India
A wildlife researcher from the Wildlife Conservation Society and a staff member of the Maharashtra Forest Department with one of the tools used to track a collared leopard..

Photo Story: Taking Action

View full photo series
Camouflage Rhino

Coexistence With Predators

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, India

In Mumbai, it’s not uncommon to come across a big cat. Here, there is a unique relationship between leopards and humans, developed thanks to the efforts of the indigenous Warli community, the Maharashtra Forest Department, and local citizen groups. For many years, they have cultivated awareness around these creatures in order to help craft a careful coexistence. Though incidents still occur, this photographer hopes to demonstrate that a harmony can exist between human and non-human animals.

Nayan Khanolkar

Mumbai, India

Nayan Khanolkar is a self-taught photographer who traveled throughout India to document wildlife for nearly two decades. In the last two years, the urban leopards documented in his photo story have become the sole focus of his photography, which he hopes will raise awareness for the conservation of India’s rich heritage of wildlife.

See Nayan's behind-the-scenes video

Photo Story: Out of the Ordinary winner

Coexistence With Predators

‍Nayan Khanolkar | Mumbai, India
Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai, India