Urban and Garden Wildlife - Winner
Igor Shpilenok (Russia)
Respect
In the winter of 2007/08, Igor spent five months as a ranger in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve in Kamchatka in the Russian Far East, taking his cat Ryska with him for company. Immediately, she staked out her territory and set to work showing the local foxes who was boss. Each day, the foxes came looking for food, even peering through the window of Igor's cabin. Ryska was having none of it. With her impressive weaponry of sharp claws and teeth, 'she soon earned respect from them - and from me,' says Igor, 'living up to her name, which means little lynx in Russian.'
Nikon D3 + 300mm lens; 1/500 sec at f4.5; ISO 640.
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The Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine.