Wildlife photographer wins top prize for this adorable picture
| Feb 16, 2018, 15:58 IST
A wildlife photographer has won the top prize for her photo featuring a young gorilla in the arms of the man who saved her from a bushmeat market. The image that was taken by Canadian photographer Jo-Anne McArthur shows Pikin, a young gorilla who was being moved to a sanctuary. She was being moved from the safe forest sanctuary where she was rescued, into a larger sanctuary. Although Pikin was sedated, during the ride she woke up. Thankfully she was drowsy and her rescuer, Appolinaire Ndohoudou, of Ape Action Africa, was close at hand so she stayed calm during the entire journey.
The image has won from a shortlist of 24 images which were drawn from a total of over 50,000 entries for the 2017 competition. Jo-Anne said, “I’m so thankful that this image resonated with people and I hope it might inspire us all to care a little bit more about animals. No act of compassion towards them is ever too small. I regularly document the cruelties animals endure at our hands, but sometimes I bear witness to stories of rescue, hope and redemption. Such is the case with the story of Pikin and Appolinaire, a beautiful moment between friends.”
The image has won from a shortlist of 24 images which were drawn from a total of over 50,000 entries for the 2017 competition. Jo-Anne said, “I’m so thankful that this image resonated with people and I hope it might inspire us all to care a little bit more about animals. No act of compassion towards them is ever too small. I regularly document the cruelties animals endure at our hands, but sometimes I bear witness to stories of rescue, hope and redemption. Such is the case with the story of Pikin and Appolinaire, a beautiful moment between friends.”