Badger admiring Banksy-style image wins hearts in wildlife photo competition

In a dimly lit scene on a street at night  a badger walks underneath some graffiti of a badger and appears to look up at it.Ian Wood / Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Maddie Molloy
BBC Climate & Science

A badger appearing to admire a Banksy-style graffiti version of itself has won the Natural History Museum's 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award.

Captured on a quiet road in St Leonards-on-Sea, England by British photographer Ian Wood.

Ian had noticed badgers emerging from a nearby sett to forage for food scraps left out for foxes.

"I spent the best part of two years photographing them, and this particular photo came about as an idea. I thought it'd be fun to put the graffiti there and see if I could get a badger walking underneath it," he told the BBC.

Ian sees a deeper message in his photo around the controversial subject of badger culling.

Badger culling has been used to contain bovine tuberculosis but will end in England within five years as part of a shift in the fight against the disease, the government said last year.

Ian called badger culling "a national disgrace" and said: "I would swap this award immediately for the government to rescind all existing badger culling licenses."

The 25 nominated images for this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award received a record-breaking 76,000 votes from wildlife photography and nature fans worldwide.

In addition to the winning image, four other finalists were highly commended.

All five images will be displayed online and at London's Natural History Museum until 29 June.

Spiked by David Northall (UK)

A honey badger - a largish dark-coated mammal, stands behind a porcupine against a background of dry looking grass. The honey badger has about 20 porcupine spines sticking out of its body in different directions. David Northall / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

A bloodied but determined honey badger pursues a Cape porcupine in Botswana.

After a quick retreat to lick its wounds, the badger returned to finish the job and dragged the porcupine back to its den.

Whiteout by Michel d'Oultremont (Belgium)

A stoat sits upright in a snowy field, its white winter coat making it nearly invisible. Only its dark eyes and black-tipped tail break the endless expanse of white.Michel d'Oultremont / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Look very closely - can you see the stoat?

It sits proudly in the snow, blending seamlessly with its surroundings in this snowy scene from Belgium.

Michel d'Oultremont had been on the hunt for stoats in the snow for years, fascinated by how they disappear into the white landscape.

After covering himself in a white camouflage net, he got his shot when a curious stoat popped out of its snowy den to check out its territory before heading out to hunt.

Edge of Night by Jess Findlay (Canada)

A barn owl emerges from the window of an old barn in Canada, its wings fully extended. Jess Findlay / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

In this stunning shot, a barn owl flies out of an old barn to hunt in the fields near Vancouver.

Jess Findlay spent several nights quietly observing the owl to learn its habits and set up an invisible beam that would trigger a flash when it took off.

With a slow shutter speed to capture the surrounding light, everything came together perfectly on the tenth night as the owl made its move.

Earth and Sky by Francisco Negroni (Chile)

A fiery red glow from Chile’s Villarrica volcano illuminates the night sky. Above it, a lenticular cloud takes on an eerie, swirling shape, glowing in the reflected light.Francisco Negroni / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

This amazing shot shows a double lenticular cloud lit up by the lava from the Villarrica volcano in Chile.

Francisco Negroni visits the volcano often to monitor its activity, never knowing what to expect.

On this particular trip, after 10 nights he captured the intense glow of the erupting lava lighting up the sky in a fiery, surreal display.

The stunning images that were also nominated

A beluga whale glides through shallow, clear water, its smooth white body curving as it rubs against the rocky riverbed. Mark Williams / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

British/Canadian photographer Mark Williams documents a beluga whale exfoliating its skin in the Arctic. Hundreds gather in these safe waters, away from predatory orcas, socialising and shedding old skin

A plump Weddell seal rests peacefully on an Antarctic ice floe, its body blending with the frozen Antarctic landscape. The soft greys of its fur contrast with the deep blue of the sea and sky.Sue Flood / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

British photographer Sue Flood frames a Weddell seal resting on an ice floe in Antarctica. Using a long lens, she avoids disturbing the slumbering giant, which relies on blubber to survive the icy waters

A lone puma stands atop a rugged rock formation, gazing over the windswept terrain. Its tawny coat blends with the golden hues of Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park.Aaron Baggenstos / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

American photographer Aaron Baggenstos photographs a puma standing tall in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. A conservation movement helped reduce conflict with local sheep farmers, offering hope for coexistence

Five Indian wolves pause in a golden field, their lean bodies silhouetted against the tall grass. They rest for a moment before dashing off again, their movements swift and synchronized.Arvind Ramamurthy / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Indian photographer Arvind Ramamurthy captures an Indian wolf pack pausing mid-play in Bhigwan. As their habitat shrinks, conservation offers hope for these resilient predators to make a comeback

A European roller dives aggressively toward a little owl perched on a branch. The owl looks on, unbothered, as the brightly colored bird defends its nesting territory.Bence Máté / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Hungarian photographer, Bence Máté watches a European roller ambush a little owl in Kiskunság National Park. Spending 27 days in a hide, he captures this fleeting moment of territorial defence

Aerial view of floodwaters carving through the cracked earth of Australia’s outback. Ribbons of water snake toward the vast salt flats of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.Brad Leue / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Australian photographer Brad Leue captures floodwaters surging into Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre in Australia. Photographing from a helicopter in strong winds, he documents this once-in-a-decade natural event

A cluster of lifeless butterflies and moths float on the surface of a still stream. Their delicate wings form a surreal, tragic mosaic against the water’s dark depths. Carlo D'Aurizio / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Italian photographer Carlo D'Aurizio discovered a surreal collage of dead butterflies floating in a stream in Italy. It was not what he expected to find and still has no explanation of why the insects died

A minimalist scene of four grey wolves moving through a snow-covered forest, their dark silhouettes contrasting with the pale aspens. Devon Pradhuman / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

American photographer Devon Pradhuman captures four grey wolves crossing a snowy aspen grove in Yellowstone

The silhouette of a blackbird perches on a branch, singing against the glow of fairground lights. The blurred neon colors form a striking contrast with the quiet, natural scene.Christian Brinkmann / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

German photographer Christian Brinkmann silhouettes a Eurasian blackbird against Münster's fairground lights

A playful polar bear cub attempts to stealthily pounce on an unsuspecting northern fulmar in the waters of Svalbard.Erlend Haarberg / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Norwegian photographer Erlend Haarberg shows a polar bear cub attempting an underwater attack on a northern fulmar. Though unsuccessful, this playful practice is vital for learning to hunt

Two red-shanked douc langurs sit closely together on a tree branch, their vibrant red legs and white beards striking against the green foliage. Ivan Ivanek / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Czech photographer Ivan Ivanek captures a rare moment between red-shanked douc langurs in Sơn Trà Peninsula in Vietnam. Critically endangered, these primates are threatened by habitat loss and hunting

A young cheetah cub, tied up with a rope around its body, hisses in distress. Its small frame is tense, and its eyes filled with fear as it sits on the dusty ground, unable to escape.Jose Fragozo / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Portuguese photographer Jose Fragozo captures a cheetah cub hissing while waiting to be sold. Victim to illegal wildlife trafficking, this cub was later rescued and taken to safety

A disguised biologist, dressed in white, approaches a whooping crane in a misty wetland. The bird stands tall and alert, its bright red crown contrasting with the reeds.Michael Forsberg / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

American photographer Michael Forsberg captured a disguised biologist approaching an endangered whooping crane to check the bird's health and change a broken transmitter

A decorator crab clings to a sea squirt, collecting plankton with its delicate, spindly legs. Tiny hydroids cover its body, offering both camouflage and protection.Noam Kortler / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Israeli photographer Noam Kortler captures a decorator crab perched on a sea squirt in Komodo

A chimpanzee pauses on a tree branch, seemingly observing the photographer with curiosity. Its dark eyes wide and inquisitive as it gazes downward. Sunlight filters through the dense jungle canopy, highlighting its fur.Nora Milligan / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

American photographer Nora Milligan captures a thoughtful moment as a chimpanzee in Loango National Park pauses and looks down at its family

A small, elusive four-toed sengi sniffs through the leaf litter in Mozambique, foraging for food at dusk. Piotr Naskrecki / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Polish photographer Piotr Naskrecki documents a rare four-toed sengi foraging in Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. Skittish by nature, the tiny mammal follows the same trails daily, searching for insects

A northern giant petrel rests on its nest amid a dense rātā tree forest on New Zealand’s Enderby Island. Samuel Bloch / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

French photographer Samuel Bloch captures a northern giant petrel nesting in a rātā tree forest on Enderby Island, New Zealand. Used to vast open oceans, this seabird's presence in dense woodland was a rare sight

A beaver smacked its tail in the dark water, sending ripples surging outward. Tiny droplets hang in the air as the startled surface settles again.Savannah Rose / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

American photographer Savannah Rose documents a beaver dramatically smacking its tail in Jackson, Wyoming. This is a defensive behaviour that warns family members of newcomers

A Surinam golden-eyed tree frog inflates its vocal sac, its translucent skin glowing in the damp night air. Raindrops glisten on leaves as it calls loudly for a mate.Vincent Premel / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

French photographer Vincent Premel photographs a Surinam golden-eyed tree frog calling for a mate, a call that is so powerful it can be heard hundreds of metres away

A giant ground gecko faces off against a towering pale chanting goshawk. Its mouth gapes open as if in defiance, though the raptor’s sharp gaze remains fixed on its tiny opponent.Willie Burger van Schalkwyk / Wildlife Photographer of the Year

South African photographer Willie Burger van Schalkwyk captures a giant ground gecko standing up to a pale chanting goshawk. Despite its brave fight, the gecko had no chance of survival

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