Vote Now And Help Us Win People’s Choice For Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

UPDATE: We are thrilled to announce that “Hope in a Burned Plantation” has been Highly Commended in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021 People’s Choice Award. The shortlist was chosen from a record breaking 50,000 submitted images from 95 countries. A big thank-you to all of our supporters who voted for this animal story, telling the world these stories are important. See this year’s winner and four “Highly Commended” finalists here.

In case you missed it, we’re nominated for Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice and you can vote!

This photo has made top 25 for People’s Choice nominations for Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021. Winning would be a huge boost for animal climate stories and by voting you can help make it happen.

(Voting closes 14:00 GMT on 2 February 2022. The winner will be announced on 9 February 2022.)

In early 2020, we sent Jo-Anne McArthur to Australia to document the wildfires that killed or displaced more than three billion animals. From the ashes of those fires emerged this photo, an emblem of animals and climate change. Your vote can help amplify animal stories.

“As the Australian climate fires raged, I knew that it was a story that I had to document. Specifically the stories of the animals, both domestic and wild, who were suffering and dying as a result of the fires. Flying in over Australia, I could see a continent smothering in smoke. I spent two weeks working very long hours with a wonderful team to gain access to the burn sites, the rescues, the veterinary missions. This photo was taken in Mallacoota, Victoria. When I saw this Eastern Grey kangaroo and her pouched joey, I was about 100 feet away from where I knew I’d be able to get a fantastic photograph. I walked slowly and she watched me. I prepared my camera with the settings I wanted and finally reached my spot. I took a few photos. Then I had time to crouch down and take this photo, the one I had envisioned. Then… she hopped away into the burned eucalyptus plantation. She was one of the lucky survivors.” ― Jo-Anne McArthur, Photojournalist and Founder of We Animals Media