WILDLIFE The Wildlife of the Year Photography

The WILD BUNCH

The photos in this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition are as spectacular and thought-provoking as ever – catch them at M Shed after lockdown

How often do you stop to think about the world’s wildlife? As in, properly think?

You probably indulge in the occasional binge-watch of Our Planet, or sign the odd Facebook protest against the destruction of the rainforest.

You may even own a family season ticket to Wild

Place; but these things only take you so far.

And that’s what makes the annual arrival of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at M Shed such essential viewing. Although many of the extraordinary images are simply a joy to behold – cute and cuddly, even – others are more alarming and disturbing, sounding a klaxon for the Earth’s many threatened habitats and species.

Technically, the photos are jaw-dropping.

Camera geeks can get their tech on by studying the exact lens spec and ISO, while those of us who struggle to get a garden robin into focus can only succumb to a deep and ba ed en y.

Of course, technique is just part of the tale.

Many of the most startling images resulted from the photographers enduring long, uncomfortable

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: A lucky escape for Squirrel: Surprise! by Makoto Ando; that’s the 2020 Christmas card sorted for photographer Matthew Henry, then: Snow Moose; leaping into 2021 be like: Kids’ Game by Yossi Eshbol. All photos Wildlife Photographer of the Year

hours in less than ideal temperatures. Take Makoto Ando, for example...

SURPRISE! by Makoto Ando Makoto spent three hours watching these owls in freezing conditions, hiding behind a tree in the forest near his village on the island of Hokkaido.

This is the kind of dedication we’re dealing with here. Sure, Makoto had a decent bit of kit – a Canon 5D Mark III, if you were wondering – but you can’t buy the kind of preternatural patience that leads to a photo like this. Call it a lucky shot, if you like; but luck mostly tends to happen when preparation meets opportunity.

After Makoto’s three-hour vigil, a squirrel appeared from the treetops next to a pair of Ural owls. “It was extraordinary to see them all in the same tree,” says Makoto – after all, Ural owls prey mainly on small mammals such as squirrels. ather than sensibly fleeing, the s uirrel approached and peered into the owls’ hole. “I thought it was going to be caught right in front of me, but the owls just stared back,” said Makoto.

Suddenly realising its mistake, the squirrel leapt onto the nearest branch and sped away into the forest. With equally quick reactions, Makoto

managed to frame the whole story – the squirrel’s escape, the owls’ expression, and a soft hint of the wintry forest landscape.

SNOW MOOSE by Matthew Henry Matthew had a considerably easier time of it than Makoto: instead of risking frostbite by waiting long icy hours in the snow, he spotted his moose while waiting in his car. As it approached, it paused to drink from a puddle. Every few seconds, as the animal looked around, Matthew experimented with shutter speeds to capture both the snowfall and the details of the moose’s face.

KIDS’ GAME by Yossi Eshbol ossi knew the ibe took the same route to find water and food every morning, so he made sure he was in position before first light. n cue, the ibex appeared. The adults walked nimbly around the cliff edge, but the kids couldn t resist jumping over the ravine as a game. “This one bleated a few times, then summoned up enough courage,” says Yossi. PAIRED-UP PUFFINS by Evie Easterbook pair of tlantic pu ns in their ibrant breeding plumage pause near their nest burrow on the Farne Islands. Every spring, these small islands off orthumberland attract more than 100,000 breeding pairs of seabirds; while guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars crowd onto the cliffs, pu ns nest in burrows on the grassy slopes above.

Young photographer Evie spent two days on taple Island, remaining by the pu ns burrows and watching the adults returning with mouthfuls of sand eels. u ns form long-term pairs, and Evie concentrated on this couple, finally achie ing this characterful portrait.

PEEKING POSSUMS by Gary Meredith You don’t always need to venture out into the wilds; many resourceful creatures such as these common brushtail possums have learned the advantages of moving into urban territory. Here, a mother possum (left) and her joey peek out of their hiding place under the roof of a shower block in a Western Australian holiday park. Gary Meredith had watched them all week; they’d pop up at sunset, keep an eye on the campers until dark, then squeeze out through the gap and head for the trees, to feed on the leaves of a peppermint tree.

To get the right angle, Gary moved his car close to the building and climbed up. The possums – probably used to being fed by other campers – stuck their heads out and peered at the interesting man and his camera. He quickly framed their little faces beneath the corrugated iron roof, capturing a sense of their vulnerability, along with their resourcefulness.

HEAD START by Dhritiman Mukherjee Judging by his weary expression, it’s tempting to go all anthropomorphic, and assume that this large male gharial in Utter Pradesh is dreaming of the day that the kids leave home and get their own place.

Photographed by Dhritiman Mukherjee, the large croc was left in sole charge of his numerous month-old offspring, although both sexes are known to care for their young. So as

CLOCKWISE: Mr & Mrs: Paired-up Puffins by Evie Easterbrook; good evening, campers: Peeking Possums by Gary Meredith; daddy daycare: Head Start by Dhritiman Mukherjee. All photos Wildlife Photographer of the Year not to disturb the gharials, Dhritiman spent many days quietly watching from the riverbank. His picture encapsulates both the tenderness of a protective father and its ‘don’t mess with my offspring attitude. ou ll find plenty more photos and fascinating background stories at M Shed between now and 3 May next year. Not all of them are as whimsical and cuddly as our selection – we can never quite bring ourselves to print the more disturbing ones – so brace yourself for the occasional shock among the ooh-aahs.

And make time to read the stories behind the shots; in a world in which almost everyone has a decent smartphone camera, it’s a handy reminder that really great images can only be achieved with a huge amount of time and skill and often several days of patience and discomfort. Oh, and yes, OK, OK; sometimes around £5k;s worth of top-quality lenses… ■

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London At M Shed until 3 May 2021 For more: bristolmuseums.org.uk/m-shed