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Brent Stirton's Image
Brent Stirton (South Africa) documents the impacts of the illegal bushmeat trade across the Congo Basin.
Hunters return from an island upstream of Brazzaville with a cargo of fruit bats - a bushmeat now popular throughout much of West and Central Africa. Up to 150 are caught each day during peak hunting season, threatening bat populations.
Fruit bats are carriers of the highly transmissible Ebola virus, creating a risk for those handling and buying bushmeat. However, with a single bat fetching between $2-4, for those living on less than $2 a day, selling fruit bats provides a vital income and is worth the risk.
Behind the lens
Brent Stirton
South Africa
Brent is a Senior Correspondent for Getty Images. He does most of his work for National Geographic Magazine, focusing on the intersection of humans and the environment.
Image details
- Canon EOS R5
- 15–35mm f2.8 lens at 17mm
- 1/250 sec at f14 • ISO 400
- Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.
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