A photo of a raccoon climbing out of a trash can with a hot dog wins B.C. SPCA award
The number of submissions to the annual B.C. SPCA photo contest doubled in 2021, partly because of COVID-19, organizers say.
Almost 2,100 photos were submitted in the 13th annual Wildlife-in-Focus photography contest, which is double the number received during any other year. Organizers told CTV News that it’s partly because people stayed close to home this year.
“People haven’t been able to travel much this year and last,” said Erin Ryan, B.C. SPCA research communications and photo contest organizer. “So people are taking more local trips and more local pictures.”
She says the quality of the photos that were sent in from across the province was also better this year.
The two categories decided by volunteer judges were "backyard habits" and "wild settings."
The winner of the backyard category was a raccoon climbing out of a trash bin with a hot dog in its mouth near a concession stand in Vancouver's Stanley Park.
The SPCA is using the picture, taken by Vancouver resident Christiane Cottin in May, to educate.
“We got permission from Christiane, even before the winning photo was announced, to use her image 'Trash Raccoon' to help promote a wildlife education podcast about not feeding wildlife,” said Ryan.
A photo of a female common merganser out for a morning feed in June with its ducklings on Alta Lake in Whistler was the winner of the wild settings category. It was taken by Whistler resident Steve Burgess.
The photo of a female common merganser bird out for a feed with her ducklings on Alta Lake in Whistler that won the "wild settings" category in the B.C. SPCA Wildlife-in-Focus photography contest. (Steve Burgess)
A third “people’s choice” category was used as a fundraiser, with every vote costing $1. This year, more than $34,000 was raised to help the B.C. SPCA's Wild ARC rehabilitation centre care for injured and orphaned local wildlife.
Voters chose a picture of a pair of coyotes by Vancouver resident Colin Beadle as their favourite.
“The money is invaluable to promote the work we do,” added Ryan. “We don’t have the budget to hire photographers.”
The photo of two coyotes which won the "people's choice" award in the B.C. SPCA Wildlife-in-Focus Photography contest (Colin Beadle)
The 2021 winning photos, chosen by the judges, as well as the 25 most popular images chosen by the voters, will be featured in a photo book that will be sold by the B.C. SPCA. All the winning images, taken by amateur photographers across the province, can be found on the society's website.
The 2022 contest opens in July.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.
Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire doubles in size as 3,000-plus ordered to evacuate
The wildfire that sparked Friday and caused evacuation orders for more than 3,000 people in Fort Nelson, B.C., and the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has grown to nearly 1,700 hectares in size, according to a Saturday morning update from the BC Wildfire Service.
Dutch contestant kicked out of Eurovision hours before tension-plagued song contest final
Hours before the final, Dutch contestant Joost Klein was dramatically booted out by organizers over a backstage incident. He had failed to perform at two dress rehearsals on Friday, and contest organizer the European Broadcasting Union said it was investigating an "incident."
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Haitians demand the resignation and arrest of the country's police chief after a new gang attack
A growing number of civilians and police officers are demanding the dismissal and arrest of Haiti's police chief as heavily armed gangs launched a new attack in the capital of Port-au-Prince, seizing control of yet another police station early Saturday.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.