The Wonder of Nature in the Photos of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Nature in all its beauty and splendour in the photos of the Worldlife Photographer of the Year, the world’s most important contest dedicated to nature photography. The award-winning photos of the 2022 Edition are already on display in the halls of the Natural History Museum, along with short videos, comments from their authors and engaging scientific explanations. The absolute winner of the contest this year is the photo The Big Buzz by American Karin Aigner who, on a sunny Texas ranch, was able to capture a moment that is rarely visibile to human eyes - the fight among males of the cactus bees for the conquest of the queen bee. The image snapped by the lens of Aigner shows the bundle of drones on the sand, which is also where these desert bees build their hives - that’s why uncultivated terrain is essential for their survival. “In the world of today, we often strive to draw attention to large mammals. This image, rather, helps shine a light on a tiny creature, among the most important of the natural world,” said the director and member of the jury, Sugandhi Gadadhar. This is just one of the surprises of the exhibition - from volcanoes to glaciers, from the depths of the oceans to the heavens and to the numerous habitats on the terraferma, the winning photos are an anthem of the biodiversity of the planet and a heartfelt warning to protect it.