The winners of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award 2024 have been revealed.
The 25 images shortlisted for this year's competition received a record-breaking 76,000 votes, with top spot going to British photographer Ian Wood for his image 'No Access’ – a perfectly timed shot of an Eurasian badger glancing up at some graffiti in the seaside town of St Leonards-on-Sea in England.
"Ian’s flawlessly timed image offers a unique glimpse of nature’s interaction with the human world, underscoring the importance of understanding urban wildlife," says Director of the Natural History Museum, Dr Douglas Gurr. "His exceptional photograph serves as a powerful reminder that local nature and wildlife, often just outside our homes, can inspire and captivate us.”
Discover the story behind Ian's winning shot and find out which four images were highly commended.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award 2024 winners
No Access by Ian Wood – winner
Residents of St Leonards-on-Sea had been leaving food scraps on the pavement for foxes, but Ian noticed that badgers from a nearby sett were also coming to forage. After seeing a badger walking along the pavement by this wall late one night, he decided to photograph it. He set up a small hide on the edge of the road to take this picture.
Spiked by David Northall – highly commended
Found throughout Botswana, honey badgers are famously ferocious. They often chase animals many times their own size. This honey badger got an unpleasant surprise when it attacked the normally nocturnal Cape porcupine. The badger grabbed the porcupine’s right leg. In defence, the porcupine repeatedly backed into its attacker, piercing it with many quills. During a lull in the attack, the porcupine managed to shuffle away, its leg badly damaged. After a short retreat, the bloodied badger returned. It finished off the porcupine under a bush close to the original attack then dragged it into its underground den.
Earth and Sky by Francisco Negroni – highly commended
Villarica is in the town of Pucón in the south of Chile. It’s one of the country’s most active volcanoes and last erupted in 2015. Francisco takes regular trips to Villarrica to monitor its activity. On this visit, he stayed nearby for 10 nights. He says every trip is “quite an adventure – never knowing what the volcano might surprise you with”. Some nights are calm, others furious as in this photograph, where the brightness of the crater illuminates the night sky.
Edge of Night by Jess Findlay – highly commended
Jess quietly watched the barn owl for several nights to understand its habits. He set up an invisible beam that would trigger a flash when the owl flew out of the barn. Simultaneously, a slow shutter speed gathered ambient light cast on the clouds and barn. On the tenth night, all the moving parts came together as the owl left to begin its hunt.
Whiteout by Michel d’Oultremont –highly commended
Michel had been looking for stoats in the snow for many years. The magic of snowfall fascinates Michel every winter. He wanted to take a photograph that showed how the stoats blend in with the whiteness of the landscape. He’d seen a few in Switzerland but never in his native Belgium. Then, finally his dream came true. He lay in the snow with a white camouflage net covering all but his lens. This curious stoat came out of its snowy hole and sat up from time to time, observing its territory just before setting off to hunt.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London.
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