Animal Behaviour: Mammals - Runner-up
Ajit K. Huilgol (India)
Leopard descending
Driving along a twisty track in Nagarhole National Park in southern India, Ajit didn't see the leopard until he was almost at the tree - rather, he spotted her flicking tail hanging down like a bell-rope. In the thick forests of southern India, leopard sightings are rare, and ones lasting more than a few moments are rarer still. Draped over a branch, the female posed for Ajit 'like a professional model' for a full 20 minutes. The end of the show was signalled by the sound of a vehicle. But instead of leaping from the tree, she swept straight down the trunk 'with a grace that was truly sublime'.
Canon EOS-1D Mark lll + Canon 500mm lens; 1/80 sec at f8; ISO 400.
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Adult awards White-water fishing Eric Lefranc
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Adult awards Big cat fight Andy Rouse
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Adult awards Courtship race Janne Heimonen
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The Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine.