A striking picture of a badger that preserves a Banksy Graffiti version of itself has won 2024 Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.

Taken on a quiet road in St Leonards-on-Sea, eastern Sussex, caught British photographer Ian Wood the touching moment after noticing that nearby Badgers came to the area to gather food remains for foxes of local inhabitants.

After seeing a badger that previously walked on the scene near his home late at night, Wood then decided to strategically hide on the side of the road to catch the picture.

His photo shows the badger, simply illuminated by a nearby lamp post, and looks upwards at graffiti on the wall.

Wood told the BBC that he had spent the best part of two years “on photographing Badgers and that he thought it would be” fun to put the graffiti there and see if I could get a badger that goes under it “.

The unique photograph was one of 25 other short -listed images for People’s Choice Award. Record 76,000 votes were counted globally to choose the winner.

Wood, which is described as “an Ambling Eurasian Badger who seems to look at Badger Graffiti,” Wood said that it was to win the prize for his image has been both “beautiful overwhelming” and “really humble”.

His winning shot is one of almost 60,000 entries for the annual competition aimed at highlighting the beauty of nature, along with the growing challenges it is now facing.

A striking picture of a badger that preserves a Banksy Graffiti version of itself by Ian Wood has won the Natural History Museum 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award

Dr. Douglas Gurr, head of the Natural History Museum, said: ‘Ian’s flawless time -set image offers a unique insight into nature’s interaction with the human world and emphasizes the importance of understanding urban animals.

“His exceptional photography acts as a powerful reminder that local nature and wildlife, often just outside our homes, can inspire and imprison us.”

But Wood also emphasized how the gripping and exciting photograph highlights the “darker side” to life for badgers and demands an end to the UK’s badger who, he says, “decimates” the sinking population.

He added: ‘I would replace this award immediately for the government to cancel all existing digging licenses.

“My hope is that this image will raise awareness of the harmful effect of the badger and help drive for change.”

Badger Culling has been used as a temporary measure since 2013 to contain and reduce the speeds of Bovin tuberculosis disease, where the British government aims to eradicate TB in England in 2038.

The bacterial disease does not affect people but poses a major threat to dairy and beef farmers given that cattle that are infected with TB cannot provide adequate milk material or high quality meetings and are therefore often slaughtered.

From 2024, the UK had released 210,000 badgers at a cost of £ 58.8 million to the taxpayer. It costs more than £ 100 million per year to handle outbreaks.

Badger Culling has been used as a temporary action since 2013 to contain and reduce the speeds of Bovin Tuberculosis (Image: Demonstrators against controversial policy)

Politics has proven to be very controversial, with a British parliamentary presentation that requires an end to execute more than 52,000 signatures

However, politics has also proven to be very controversial, with a British parliamentary presentation that requires an end to execute more than 52,000 signatures.

Animal Welfare Charity Badger Trust also launched the “End of Cull” campaign in 2023 and demanded an end to the very disputed action.

In August 2024, the British government announced that Badger Culling will end in England within five years, with an alternative vaccination program that will be introduced to limit the disease.

Wood’s innovative Badger photography will be shown both online, along with the interactive voting screens at the Natural History Museum, London, until June 29, 2025.

His image is one of four other strongly forced images shown on the display. These include Earth and Sky by Francisco Negroni, which shows a double lens -shaped cloud hanging over Chiles Villarrica Vulkan, along with Edge of Night taken by Jess Findlay, who captures a spooky barn that leaves a bar for hunting.