subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 23 November 2019 23
The Moment
Yongqing Bao, China
Wildlife Photographer of the
Year and Joint Winner in the
Behaviour: Mammals Category
Taken on the alpine meadowland
of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, this
fascinating capture demonstrates the
sometimes painful to witness reality
of nature. This is the marmot’s final
moments as it is hunted by the fox
who had spotted it an hour earlier. A
photographer for just seven years, Bao
has been watching these particular
species for the past two or three years,
waiting for the moment to capture this
incredible interaction between prey and
predator. To get the picture, Bao had to
lie on the ground and says he knew it
was a special shot the moment he saw it
on the back of the camera. One of four
Chinese photographers in the top 100,
Bao is the first grand prize winner to
come from China. His trip to London to
receive his award was the first time he
had left his home country, too.
Canon EOS 1DX, 800mm f/5.6 lens, 1/2500 sec at f/5.6
(0.67 e/v), ISO 640, Manfrotto carbon-fibre tripod,
509HD headBig cat and dog spat
Peter Haygarth, UK
Highly Commended, Behaviour:
Mammals
This striking image was taken in Zimanga
Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa, and it shows a rare encounter
between a lone male cheetah and a pack
of African wild dogs. Both species have
disappeared from much of their former ranges,
with fewer than 7,000 left of each. This elderly
cheetah hissed and lunged back at the
12-strong mob of wild dogs, and was able
to escape after a few minutes.
Nikon D4S, 400mm f/2.8 lens, 1/640 sec at f/5, ISO 800
© PETER HAYGARTH