London Museum of Natural History
Photo of sleeping polar bear wins audience award
You have to be a polar bear to be able to sleep so comfortably here in the Norwegian Svalbard Archipelago. The photo
© Nima Sarikhani/Wildlife Photographer of the Year /PA Media/dpa
A polar bear slumbers comfortably nestled against a cold iceberg in northern Norway. Photographer Nima Sarikhani won the Audience Award at the London Museum of Natural History for this image.
Sarikhani took the picture on the Spitsbergen archipelago, which is part of Norway. The bear prepared a “bed” in the ice with its paws before lying down to rest, according to the PA report on how the photo was taken.
Attention to climate change
Sarikhani was quoted as saying that he hopes that there is reason to hope that the consequences of climate change can still be partially averted. “Polar bears are incredibly adaptable and in some areas their numbers are increasing, it’s not too late to fix the mess we’ve made.”
The prize is offered by the London Museum of Natural History and is part of a larger competition that is accompanied by a special exhibition every year. 75,000 people took part in the vote, with a total of 25 photos to choose from.