2011: Behaviour: Mammals - Highly Commended
Eric Pierre (France)
The charge
Eric had been tracking Arctic wolves on Victoria Island, Canada, when his guide spotted a herd of muskoxen some 5 kilometres (3 miles) away. Approaching, Eric could see that the herd was nervous, probably because wolves were also on its trail. So he made a detour and stopped about 1km (half a mile) away upwind. Suddenly, he realized that the herd was now running towards them, oblivious of them. 'I've seen muskoxen run away,' says Eric. 'I've seen them react to a threat by forming a circle, and I've even seen a male charge. But I've never seen a herd spread out into a charging line like this. I could hear the thundering of their hooves. It was one of those situations where it really mattered that I made the right choice between technical accuracy, aesthetics - and security.'
Nikon D700 + 500mm f4 lens; 1/2000 sec at f8; ISO 400; Gitzo carbon tripod + carbon Eki head.
View other winners in this category
-
Adult awards Big-blue mouthful Richard Herrmann
View
-
Adult awards Balancing act Joel Sartore
View
-
Adult awards Polar power Joe Bunni
View
-
Adult awards Family tree Paul Goldstein
View
-
Adult awards Making an impression Andy Rouse
View
Search the online gallery
Enter a keyword to search for images from the 2011 competition
Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year is co-owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide.
All intellectual property rights in the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition images are retained by the photographer. Any reproduction of the images without prior written consent will constitute an actionable infringement. For information regarding permission to use competition images please email us.