Stories of Survival, the Wildlife Photography Competition set up by wildlife vet Jess Bodgener is back for its second year. We have a world class judging panel and there are some fantastic prizes on offer including aNikon Z6 II, tripods from Gitzo, software from Adobe and a cameratrap kit from Camtraptions. 

All the proceeds from the competition are being donated toWildlife Vets International, so every entry helps support conservation. 

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What are the different categories this year? 

There are 8 categories in this years #wildlifephotographycompetition : Mammals, Birds, Herpetofauna and Fish, Invertebrates, Conservation in action: Stories from the field, Conservation in action: Zoos and Aquariums, Cameraphone images...

      And our NEW CATEGORY – Untold stories

Enter here.

Entry fee for adults is £10 for up to 5 photos and additional entries are £2 each. The Youth Competition is £5 to enter up to 5 photos and additional entries are £1. And remember, this year, all proceeds are being donated to Wildlife Vets International. Thank you everyone! 

What is the STORY of SURVIVAL part? 

We want to you to do more than just inspire us with your beautiful imagery, we want you to raise awareness for conservation as well and so invite you to submit a caption with your entries. Captions are important because they allow us to talk about the threats our subjects are facing.  

We recommend keeping your captions short, two to four sentences is about right. There will be a separate box where you can enter the name of the species and the location where the image was taken. If the image was taken in a zoo or a nature reserve, then the name of the zoo or nature reserve should be given.

The first one or two sentences should tell us something about the species, perhaps what it eats, what habitat it prefers, how big it gets or something that makes it unique.

The next couple of sentences should describe one of the threats the species is currently facing and how this is impacting the population. If the species is classed as threatened by the IUCN, you could also include it’s threat status. To check the global threat status of a species you can go to the IUCN red list. You can also refer to local threat assessments, like the RSPBs UK Conservation Status system.

Do not worry if your species isn’t endangered, that is a good thing!! Even if the animal you have photographed is doing well overall there are still likely to be some local, or low-level challenges, it is having to overcome. Do your research, look online, join a local nature group or speak to staff at zoos and nature reserves who will be more than happy to chat and help you out.

If you are entering either of our two ‘conservation in action’ categories then it would be good if the caption described the activity taking place and how this is contributing to conservation. In a zoo setting this could be something along the lines of the animal being involved in a captive breeding program or being used for education. In the field setting it could be something like placing a collar to facilitate monitoring.

Prizes

Each category will have one winner, three runner ups and five highly commended awards.  

Overall winners will be selected from category winners.  

In terms of the prizes themselves, we are pleased to be working with a number of very generous sponsors who are donating some fantastic products. Details of these will be available on our prizes and partners page once the competition opens.  

Once awarded, all prizes must be accepted as offered and are not transferable.  

In addition to the prizes donated by our sponsors, we plan to include all award winners in a commemorative book.  

Please note: Prizes will be sent out from the UK. Any taxes or other costs associated with the entrant receiving a prize are the sole responsibility of the entrant.

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To enter and find out much more head to the website.

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Want a free entry? Please sign up to the Stories of Survival Facebook and Instagram accounts to take part in the competitions.