ZSL Animal Photography Prize winners revealed

The pictures, released today (Friday), are just some of the breathtaking images from the ZSL Animal Photography Prize 2012, which will be on display in a stunning exhibition at ZSL London Zoo from Friday 21 September.

The competition, the first of its kind run by the Zoological Society of London, launched in April in a bid to inspire amateur and professional photographers to get out and capture the wonders of the natural world.

Photographer Robert Heischman, who captured the winning shot of the reflective gharial in the adult’s Weird and Wonderful category said: “Photographing reflections effectively requires a bunch of factors to come together. You need intense light, still water, a low camera angle, and an interesting subject to make it work.

“I love gharials for how sharp and angular they are, so when I saw this individual holding his head at such a steep angle, I knew I had an interesting shot on my hands.

“ZSL London Zoo stands out to me for the quality and design of its exhibits, as well as the extensive efforts ZSL has put into conservation projects across the world. However small my contribution, I am honoured to help promote ZSL’s cause through my photography”.

ZSL’s exhibition manager Sarah Barron added: “We’ve been blown away by the calibre of the images submitted for the ZSL Animal Photography Prize.

“These photographers have managed to capture some truly amazing shots which will challenge peoples’ perception of the animal kingdom.

“The exhibition at ZSL London Zoo will not only be a fantastic visual experience for visitors, but will help us to share our passion for and inspire people about the world’s wildlife.”

Other extraordinary images that will be on display at the Zoo include a curious gorilla getting behind the camera, a close up of an Amur leopard baring its teeth, and a Madagascan giant leaf-tailed gecko showing off its incredible camouflage skills.

Adult and junior photographers submitted entries for the competition’s seven categories including The Human Animal and Birds and the Bees, to be in with the chance of winning part of the £10,000 prize fund.

To find out more about the ZSL Animal Photography Prize and to book tickets to see the exhibition please visit www.zsl.org/photo-prize