The image of a buzzing ball of cactus bees spinning over the hot sand on a Texas ranch has helped its creator to win the coveted Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
The bee-level close-up was captured by US photographer Karine Aigner and makes her the fifth woman in the competition’s 58-year history to claim the grand title award.
The other main title of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 was won by 16-year-old Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn, of Thailand, for his image about the beauty of a whale.
Ms Aigner’s image was praised for its “sense of movement and intensity” by the judges at London’s Natural History Museum, who develop and produce the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
All except one of the bees in the close-up are males, who are intent on mating with the single female at the centre.
Like most bees, they are threatened by habitat loss, pesticides and climate change, as well as farming practices that disrupt their nesting grounds.
Chairwoman of the judging panel, Roz Kidman Cox said: “Wings whirring, incoming males home in on the ball of buzzing bees that is rolling straight into the picture.
“The sense of movement and intensity is shown at bee-level magnification and transforms what are little cactus bees into big competitors for a single female.”
The success of Thai teenager Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn in winning the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year title was due to his fascination with the colours of a baleen whale.
13. The bat-snatcher by Fernando Constantino Martinez Belmar, winner of the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
The bat-snatcher by Fernando Constantino Martinez Belmar, winner of the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. An exhibition of the top images submitted to the competition opens at the Natural History Museum in London on October 14, before going on a UK and international tour. Photo: Fernando Constantino Martinez Be
14. The magical morels by Agorastos Papatsani, winner of the Plants and Fungi category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
The magical morels by Agorastos Papatsani, winner of the Plants and Fungi category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Photo: Agorastos Papatsani/Wildlife Pho
15. The great cliff chase by Anand Nambiar, winner of the Behaviour: Mammals category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
The great cliff chase by Anand Nambiar, winner of the Behaviour: Mammals category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Photo: Anand Nambiar/Wildlife Photograp
16. The beauty of baleen by Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn, winner of the Young Wildlife Photography of the Year
Undated handout photo issued by Natural History Museum. The success of Thai teenager Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn in winning the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year title was due to his fascination with the colours of a baleen whale. He was intrigued when a Bryde’s whale surfaced close to his boat, by the contrasting colours and textures of its dark skin, pink gum and the brush-like feeding mass that hung from its top jaw. Photo: Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn/Wildl