The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) has revealed the winners and runners-up of its annual photography awards, recognizing the talent of British and Irish photographers who captured the wonder of wildlife and the efforts of conservationists.
Over eight hundred entries were submitted to the competition, which judges submissions on content, composition, and image quality. The awards aim to showcase the diversity of wildlife found in zoos, aquariums, and natural reserves across the United Kingdom and Ireland.
This year's competition included several categories, such as Mammals, Birds, Fish, Reptiles and Amphibians, Native Species, Invertebrates, and a newly introduced category, Humans, which focuses on individuals at the forefront of animal conservation.
Thomas Harris's photograph, 'Still I Rise,' featuring a muddy elephant at Colchester Zoo, secured first place in the Mammal category.
Gareth Clifford won the Birds category with a striking image of an electric blue Vulturine from Norfolk Wildlife Reserve. Clifford also took home the award for the Human category with his photograph 'Early Rounds,' also captured at Norfolk Wildlife Reserve.
In the Reptile category, David Lynch's close-up shot 'Mid-nap breather,' taken at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, earned first place.
Peter Baird's photograph 'Forest Lantern,' a luminous image of a mushroom, won the Native Species category.
Jess Reddy's 'Eye of the Lion,' a contrasting blue and orange photograph, won the Fish category.
Ellie Richard's photograph of a speckled crab from Bournemouth's Oceanarium secured first place in the Invertebrate category.
Among the runners-up, Fred Wall received recognition for his photograph 'Our Endangered Brothers,' a portrait of a gorilla taken at Twycross Zoo.
Jennifer-Louise Read's image taken at Chester Zoo earned her the runner-up position in the Invertebrate category.
Jonathan Isaacs captured a yellow bird building its nest at Marwell Wildlife Conservation, earning him the runner-up spot in the Birds category. Jagz Bharth's photograph of an open-mouthed lizard, 'The Singing Skink,' taken at Hertfordshire Zoo, was the reptile runner-up.
Rebekah Weatherhead's photograph 'Tompot's Pot,' featuring a blenny fish, secured the runner-up position in the Fish category. Celyn Stephens's photograph of a stag, titled 'The Watcher,' was the runner-up in the Native Species category.
Jo Brown's photograph, taken at Whipsnade Zoo, was the runner-up in the Human category.
Dr. Jo Judge, CEO of BIAZA, stated that the competition showcases "photography which demonstrates not only the wonder of wildlife, but the vital work of our member zoos and aquariums in welfare and conservation." She added, "We believe these talented wildlife photographers have the power to inspire environmental change by revealing the wonder of the natural world."
The winning photographs will be featured in BIAZA's 2027 calendar, which will also highlight special dates, including David Attenborough's birthday.