The winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year has been disqualified.

At the end of last year questions were raised about the authenticity of the  winning image.  You can check out this post for a little more background info but the short version is that the authenticity of the image was questioned.  Was the wolf really wild?  Was the image taken on the wild?

The judges and owners of the competition have released an official statement in which they confirm that the image is in fact of a tame, trained wolf.  Images of tame animals are allowed in the competition but this has to be made clear from the start.  To that end, the winning image has been disqualified from the competition.

The winning photographer, José Luis Rodríguez, denies the allegations but the breach of rule 10 of the competition has resulted in him not being awarded the £10,000 prize money and being stripped of the prestigious title of WIldlife Photographer of the Year.

You can read the official statement from the competition organizers by clicking here.

I have no doubt that the debate will continue for a whole and that we will never truly now whether the image was in fact of a wild wolf or not but I am sure that the judges will be looking at this year’s entires a with a little voice in the back of their heads.

It is a sad thing that this had to happen but it only serves to remind us all as to what wildlife photography truly is – wild animals, in their natural environment.

Well respected professional wildlife photographer Andy Rouse shares his thoughts about the incident here.

When you are out in the field, remember to keep it real!

Gerry