Wildlife Photographer of the Year awarded to man who captured a polar bear falling asleep
The Natural History Museum's prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition revealed stunning images that detail the profound environments and behaviors of creatures around the world.
On Tuesday, Photographer Nima Sarikhani was named the winner of the grand title award for "Ice Bed," which captures a “dreamy image” of a young polar bear "drifting to sleep," according to a press release.
"Nima’s breathtaking and poignant image allows us to see the beauty and fragility of our planet," said Douglas Gurr, Director of the Natural History Museum. "His 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."
Sarikhani's image and four finalists were selected from a shortlist of 25 images, which were announced last year by the Natural History Museum, London. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.
If you love to get in touch with nature by looking at photographs of big cats, birds, reptiles, mammals or ocean life, checkout the shortlist of contenders, which included a mudskipper fish defending its territory and two mountain hares sharing a tender moment.
The four "Highly Commended" finalists include "The Happy Turtle" by Tzahi Finkelstein, "Starling Murmuration" by Daniel Dencescu, Mark Boyd’s "Shared Parenting" and Audun Rikardsen’s stunning capture "Aurora Jellies".
The People’s Choice Award images will be showcased in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in London until the exhibition closes in June 2024.
More: Wildlife Photographer of the Year awarded to woman who captured frantic cactus bee ball
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition reveals stunning images
