Jose Fragozo (Portugal) captures the contrast between the natural world and human infrastructure.
Keeping his camera steady in the moving vehicle, Jose tracked the giraffe as it disappeared behind the giant pillars of Kenya's new Standard Gauge Railway. The grey concrete blocks dwarf nature's tallest land mammal and contrast with the giraffe's unmistakeable patterned coat.
The Maasai giraffe is one of nine giraffe subspecies. It bears distinctive, dark brown blotches with jagged edges. Each individual has unique markings, though elements of the pattern may be passed down from mother to offspring. Numbers of Maasai giraffe have declined from an estimated more than 63,000 individuals to just 35,000 and are still decreasing.
Around the world, human development increasingly encroaches on the range and habitats of animals. Though this stretch of railway running through Nairobi National Park is raised on giant columns, allowing animals access beneath, this picture is symbolic of how space for wildlife continues to be squeezed.
Portugal
Jose lives in Ethiopia where he spends most of his time in the national parks observing and photographing wild animals, while working on mathematical models that attempt to predict their behaviour. His images have been featured worldwide in a range of publications, including National Geographic and GEO.
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