Badger Photo Wins People's Choice Award at Natural History Museum

British photographer Ian Wood's captivating image of a Eurasian badger admiring Banksy graffiti of itself has won the 2024 Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award. Captured on a quiet road in St Leonards-on-Sea, the photo reflects Wood's two-year effort to document local badgers, inspired by their foraging behavior. The photograph garnered a record 76,000 votes from the public, highlighting the intersection of urban wildlife and human art. Wood emphasized the photograph's deeper message regarding badger culling, calling it a 'national disgrace' and advocating for its end. Dr. Douglas Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, praised the image for showcasing nature's interaction with the human world. Alongside the winning photo, four other images received commendations, with all five being displayed at the museum and online until June 29.