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Reflections in the Night

Marcello Galleano

Italy

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With its mesmerizing brown and gray coat, a wild cat blends seamlessly into the rugged terrain. Silent and watchful, it hides and observes and finally moves guided by instinct. When something catches its eye, it tenses, fully alert, ready to spring into action.

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Nominee

The Cat from the Wild World

Kenya. Moving fast from bush to bush, a black leopard takes a breath before attacking. Its inky black fur rises above the dense vegetation for a moment, but soon it
will blend into the thick forest, disappearing like a shadow within its surroundings.

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Honorable Mention

Black and Wild

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Reflections in the Night 6

A white-tailed mongoose quenches its thirst in the night.Its image reflected in the water, combined with its real form, merges at first into a single shape, then reveals more details: the long tail, the stiff fur, the curious snout, a delicate body. It is hard to imagine the warrior inside it.

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Reflections in the Night5

Bronze

In the dark savannah, a Kenyan impala is drinking in a moonlit pond. The glistening surface perfectly duplicates the elegant creature in a parallel realm below the water borderline, as suspended in an ethereal dimension.

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In the darkness of the Kenyan forest, the reflections of the moonlight reveal the spotted fur of a leopard drinking from a tranquil pond. A distant sound makes it look up while nature seems to hold its breath: the leopard is a symbol of grace and power.

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Reflections in the Night 2

Pristine forest on Sulawesi Island, Indonesia. Close-up of an orange-eyed black macaque as he turns around, intrigued by the noise of the camera.

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Human gaze of a primate

Lynx eye, a twilight atmosphere and black velvet tufts are the main features of the family portrait in which the three mysterious creatures seem to have spotted something: may the mother be about to give her cubs a hunting lesson?

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FAMILY PORTRAIT

It's dawn. A European bison heads towards me in the Polish forest. This big animal stares intensively at me, it is impressive and for a moment a thought crosses my mind: "Am I in danger?" Then I snap a photo and it's forever.

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The grandeur of the bison

In the heart of the Madagascar forest, a curious lemur holds emerald-green vanilla leaves in its paws, a fragrant and enchanting treasure hidden among the branches The crowned lemur blends harmoniously into the surrounding environment, embodying the sweetness and beauty of the lush Malagasy forest

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The Guardian of Magic

A mountain toucan, with an acrobatic braking, is landing at the nest where its eggs are.It is the black billed toucan that lives in the Andes and wears the colors of the forest.

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Colombia, Express Landing

The Iberian lynx cub runs free in the woods of Santa Cruz de Mandela, Spain. This urge to play makes him measure speed and endurance. Lively, energetic and curios, he’s going to be a healthy and strong adult soon.

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BORN FREE

A dhole sits gracefully on a patch of ground in the heart of the lush Indian forest. Its coat is rusty-red with a pale underside. Its ears are perked, attentively tuned to the sounds of the jungle, and its watchful eyes connect with the surrounding nature.

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Apparent calm

Finnish winter. A wolf leaves the forest looking for food. Beautiful in its warm fur, with the pride of a fearless warrior.Rumour has it that this animal is fierce, shrewd, ruthless, well organized, emotionless. And yet its eyes sparkle.