Monday 23 April 2018

FAO: Marcio Cabral

fotoexplorer@gmail.com

Dear Marcio,

Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition 2017 (“the Competition”)

Image: The Night Raider

Thank you for your emails and information to help us with our enquiry, which we have
taken into consideration.

Following a careful investigation, in light of photographic evidence and scientific

analysis, the Natural History Museum has concluded that it is highly likely that the
anteater featured in your photograph is a stuffed anteater – i.e. a mounted taxidermy
specimen, from the educational collection of the visitor centre at Portão do Bandeira
gate, at one of the Emas National Park entrances.

The anteater in your image was compared with images of the taxidermy anteater by five
scientists with expertise in mammals, taxidermy, South American mammals, and
anteaters​. ​All the scientists involved independently agreed that there were multiple
elements (overall posture, morphology, position of raised tufts of fur and especially
around the patterning of the neck and the top of the head) that are too similar for the
images to depict two different individuals. We therefore have reasonable doubt that the
animal shown in your image is a living anteater, and have therefore concluded that the
image is in breach of the Rule 4 of the 2017 competition rules:

Entrants are required to report on the natural world in a way that is both creative and
honest:
(i) entries must not deceive the viewer or attempt to disguise and/or
misrepresent
the reality of nature;
(ii) caption information supplied must be complete, true and accurate.

The integrity of the Competition is of the utmost importance. It is for this reason that
Rule 4 of the Competition also provides that if unethical practices are suspected by the
Owners, the entry will be disqualified.

It is therefore with great sadness that we write to inform you that the image, ​The night
raider​ has been disqualified from the Competition.

As a result, your image will be removed from the exhibition and touring exhibitions. Any
merchandise solely featuring The night raider image will be removed from sale and you
will not be eligible to enter the competition again.

I must emphasise that this is not a reflection on the quality of the image, but that in
achieving this image, you have contravened the very strict ethical code - that the picture
information provided was not true and accurate and is deceiving the viewer – which is a
fundamental aspect of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

You received £1,250 prize money as a category winner, which we now request that
you return to us​.
T​his
decision is final and no negotiation will be considered. The reputation of the
competition is the paramount consideration. May I remind you that you are not
permitted to use the name, logos or any other intellectual property of the Natural History
Museum or the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition without our consent
which will not, in these circumstances, be granted .

Yours faithfully

Helena Louring Jensen

Head of Commercial Intellectual Property
h.jensen@nhm.ac.uk