Sergey Gorshkov has been awarded the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year for his exceptional image of a Siberian tiger scent-marking in a remote forest of Russia.
The competition jury were delighted to see an image of a tiger scent-marking, a rarely photographed behaviour. Judge Susan McElhinney described the winning image as ‘a rare and intimate glimpse of a very endangered species going about its daily rounds of checking its territorial boundaries or scent-marking, leaving messages and reading the messages of other cats’.
This important part of their behaviour helps tigers to avoid conflict with each other. As judge Jaime Rojo explains, ‘These Siberian tigers really need large, well-protected tracts of habitat to survive. Each of them has a big territory.’
Sadly, large-scale deforestation in the region has threatened the habitat of Siberian tigers. As parts of the forest are destroyed, these animals are being forced further into each other’s territory, creating an increased chance of conflict.
This, Jaime explains, is why tigers do scent marking: ‘They are trying to avoid conflict. If another male trespasses on their territory there will be confrontation, and wild animals try and avoid confrontation.’
© Sergey Gorshkov
