Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition at Forte di Bard

The 58th edition of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, a prestigious British award for nature photography, is on display at Forte di Bard in the Aosta Valley. The exhibition is housed in the Sale delle Cannoniere of the 19th-century fortress, featuring light panels that enhance the luminosity of the images. Among the winners is American photographer Karine Aigner, named Wildlife Photographer of the Year for "The big buzz," capturing a ball of cactus bees rolling on hot sand in a Texas ranch. Katanyou Wuttichaitanakorn, a 16-year-old Thai naturalist, won Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 for "The beauty of baleen," depicting a Bryde's whale. Italian artists include Ekaterina Bee, who won for "Battle stations," a shot of two Alpine ibex fighting for supremacy. Alessandro Gruzza received a Highly Commended mention in the Wetlands – The Bigger Picture category for "The living reservoir," taken in the wetlands of Lake Chungará in the Chilean Andes. Lorenzo Shoubridge also earned a Highly Commended mention in the Mammals category for "Dormouse as moth-catcher," capturing a dormouse hunting in Mont Avic Natural Park. The exhibition coincides with the first of three dates of Earth Day, an initiative on "Climate and biodiversity" promoted by the fort, involving over 650 students from 16 primary schools in the region.