The People’s Choice award in the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition went to this photo of a lowland gorilla and the man who saved her (Picture: Wildlife Photographer of the Year).
A tender hug between a lowland gorilla and the man who saved her life has been crowned the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award.
Photographer Jo-Anne McArthur took the photo in Cameroon, as the rescued gorilla – named Pikin – was being moved between animal sanctuaries.
Baby apes are often left orphaned after their mothers are killed and either die in the wild or are sold on as pets.
Luckily, she woke up in the arms of her caretaker, Appolinaire Ndohoudou, a man she shared a particular bond with.
As he rebuilt his life in Cameroon, his work in protecting wild animals revived his appreciation for the natural world.
The picture will now be showcased in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Museum until it closes on May 28. »