A Fort St. John photographer has earned first place in a provincewide wildlife photography contest, capturing the attention of judges with a photo of a fox.
Heather Rolling took the top spot in the Backyard Habitats category of the BC SPCA’s 18th annual Wildlife-in-Focus photography contest, with the winners announced Friday, Oct. 9.
The category highlights the connections between people and the wild animals that live in their backyards, while the contest’s Wild Settings category features animals in their natural habitats.
More than 450 photos were submitted to this year’s competition, with judges selecting the top three entries in each category.
“It was a close call among the winners, with many incredible photos receiving honourable mentions,” said Hailey Boehner, the BC SPCA’s wild animal welfare specialist.
The contest also raised more than $9,400 to support the BC SPCA’s Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre, which cares for injured, sick and orphaned wild animals.
Rolling’s winning fox photo was joined by Peter Cortes of Victoria, who placed second in Backyard Habitats with a bald eagle photo, and Sam Gorick of Mill Bay, who took third with a raccoon image.
In the Wild Settings category, Alan Milnes of Kelowna placed first with a photo of a killer whale. Martin Ross of Cranbrook finished second with sea otters, while Cian Cain of Peachland placed third with a white-crowned sparrow.
Kim Edwards of West Kelowna won the People’s Choice Award for a photo of a great horned owl.
The winning photographs, along with selected honourable mentions, will be featured on a limited-edition Wildlife-in-Focus trail mug and a new set of wildlife greeting cards available through the BC SPCA’s online store.
Boehner thanked participants for sharing their images and helping raise funds for wildlife care.
The contest celebrates British Columbia’s diverse wildlife while supporting the BC SPCA’s work to protect and rehabilitate wild animals.
