Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov beat 49,000 entries to win the Wildlife Photographer of the Year prize with his entry, entitled The Embrace. It features a Siberian tigress hugging a fir tree and took him more than 11 months to capture using hidden cameras.
Kate, an enthusiastic amateur photographer, announced the winners at the reopened Natural History Museum, London, which will host an exhibition of the best images from Friday.
Wearing a black Alexander McQueen suit she said: “It is so wonderful to be back at the reopened Natural History Museum, where we can all enjoy its treasures once again.
“The skill and creativity of this year’s images provide a moving and fascinating insight into the beauty and vulnerability of life on our planet.
“Thank you for showing us the magic of the natural world, and for reminding us that caring for our environment and its precious biodiversity has never been more important.”
Lead judge Rosamond Kidman Cox, said of the winning image: “It’s a scene like no other. A unique glimpse of an intimate moment deep in a magical forest.
“Shafts of low winter sun highlight the ancient fir tree and the coat of the huge tigress as she grips the trunk in obvious ecstasy and inhales the scent of tiger on resin, leaving her own mark as her message.”
Tickets can be booked at www.nhm.ac.uk
