Polar Bears in Abandoned Village Wins Nature Photographer of the Year 2022

polar bears
Winner of the Human and Nature category and Overall Winner | Dmitry Kokh/NPOTY 2022

A group of polar bears exploring an abandoned Soviet village in the Arctic has won Nature Photographer of the Year 2022.

Dmitry Kokh took the incredible photos in Kolyuchin where the USSR used to operate a polar weather station until it was closed in 1992. He took home the top prize of €3,000 ($3,200)

In September 2021, Kokh sailed over 1,200 miles in the North Pole where he found a foggy, deserted house occupied by 20 bears.

“Bears are very curious by nature so they walked around houses, and checked every door, window, nook, and cranny,” says Kokh.

The photos were shot from a drone, equipped with low-noise propellers so as not to disturb them. But the intelligent bears knew its presence and looked straight at the camera.

Winner of the Black and White category | Ernst Dirksen/NPOTY 2022
Highly commended in the Youth category | Jomtup Charoenlapnumchai/NPOTY 2022
Winner in the Mammals category | Sascha Fonseca/NPOTY 2022

Sascha Fonseca won the Mammals category with a fabulous photo of the endangered snow leopard.

“The jury was convinced that the years of preparation resulted in a great photo,” explains judge Karin Van Couwenberg. “This photo captured a moment in his life and environment. The snowy landscape and the amazing view of the mountains in the background results in a mystical moment. All the elements combined in the photo evoke strong emotions. That is camera trap photography at its best as far as we have seen earlier.”

Highly commended in the Animal Portraits category | Zita Quentin/NPOTY 2022
Highly commended in the Landscape category | Raul Mostoslavsky/NPOTY 2022
Highly commended in the Mammals category | Zsolt Moldovan/NPOTY 2022
Highly commended in the Youth category | Clemence Till/NPOTY 2022
Runner-up in the Black and White category | Craig Elson/NPOTY 2022
Runner-up in the Human and Nature category | Tamani Cedric/NPOTY 2022
Highly commended in the Animal Portraits category. The picture shows a pair of crabs off the coast of Philippines | Andrey Savin/NPOTY 2022
Highly commended in the Underwater category | Matthew Sullivan/NPOTY 2022
Runner-up in the Mammals category | James Gifford/NPOTY 2022
Highly commended in the Other Animals category | David Jerez Drager/NPOTY 2022
Highly commended in the Plants and Fungi category | Gheorghe Popa/NPOTY 2022

Entries for Nature Photographer of the Year 2023 opens on December 20.

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