A winning entry in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition has been disqualified for featuring a “stuffed” anteater. The picture by Mr. Cabral was a winner of the 2017 Animals in their Environment category. The Natural History Museum, which runs the contest, said it was “highly likely” that Marcio Cabral’s image featured a taxidermy specimen. The picture, titled The Night Raider, shows an anteater beside a termite mound in Emas National Park in Brazil. But an anonymous whistleblower contacted the museum last month to say the animal bore an uncanny resemblance to a stuffed anteater that can be found at a visitor centre in the reserve.
Mr Cabral denies the allegation, but could not supply any other pictures of the anteater in a different pose.
In a statement, the Natural History Museum said: “Evidence was presented to the Museum by third parties that it is highly likely the animal in the awarded photograph is a taxidermy specimen. “After a thorough investigation, the Museum concluded that the available evidence points to this allegation being true. As a result, the Museum believes that the image breaches the competition rules, which state that ‘entries must not deceive the viewer or attempt to misrepresent the reality of nature.”
The museum called on five experts – two of its own mammals experts and a taxidermy specialist, and an external South American mammals expert and anteater researcher.
They all concluded there are elements of the animal’s posture, morphology, raised tufts of fur and patterns on the neck and head that are too similar for the images to show two different animals.
The museum said Mr Cabral cooperated fully with the investigation and provided images before and after the winning photo was taken, none of which included the anteater. He gave an explanation as to why he had no other images of the anteater and provided a witness who says he saw the live anteater. Mr Cabral, who has won many awards in his 20-year career, strongly denies the anteater in his image is a taxidermy specimen.
Roz Kidman Cox, a member of the museum’s 2017 judging panel and current chair of the competition’s jury, said: “I find it disheartening and surprising that a photographer would go to such lengths to deceive the competition and its worldwide following.
“The competition places great store on honesty and integrity, and such a breach of the rules is disrespectful to the wildlife photography community, which is at the heart of the competition.
“This disqualification should remind entrants that any transgression of the rules and spirit of the competition will eventually be found out.”
The caption alongside Mr Cabral’s winning photo stated: “Marcio had been visiting the National Park for three years waiting for the right conditions to capture the glowing termite mounds.
“After days frustrated by rain, he was in for a surprise.
“A giant anteater ambled out of the darkness and stayed just long enough for Marcio to take a single picture, using a long exposure and flash to highlight his unexpected companion.”
Mr Cabral will no longer be considered the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year category and has been banned from entering the contest in future years.
The museum said a new winner cannot be announced in his place.
Featured image credit: news.sky.com
