At first, you might think it’s a fake, say that it has been set up, or that it’s either photoshopped or a still from a movie. But then, when you see that it’s on display at London’s Natural History Museum, you look closer and realise that it really is a photo of two mice fighting.
The photo titled ‘Station Squabble’ is the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Lumix People’s Choice award and was captured on London’s Underground thanks to the patience of Bristol-based photographer Sam Rowley, who was documenting the life of mice in urban environments. (Featured image: Sam Rowley)
This is where most of us would think why? as our aversion to seeing rats and mice in the city makes us squirm. Especially so after reports last year that their numbers had exploded since Sydney’s building boom began.
To get the winning shot, though, Sam lay in wait on the platform as the mice picked up their dinner. That’s when one mouse said to the other mouse, Hey, that’s mine before launching himself at his mate to steal the tasty morsel. The fight only lasted one round (a split-second, really) before both mice scurried away, unaware of the evidence captured.
It’s fair to say that whenever animals behave like humans, it triggers something within us, a feeling of warmth and empathy as we imagine ourselves in such a situation. Such seems to be the case with ‘Station Squabble’ as it collected over 28,000 votes to beat out the other 24 finalists, which has me wondering how many of those 28,000 voters have imagined strangling a fellow commuter?
Of his photo, Sam Rowley says that he hopes ‘it shows people the unexpected drama found in the most familiar of urban environments’.
But if you don’t want to go laying around on train station platforms with the hope of catching a mice bust-up, then you’re going to have to jet to London by May 31 to see the all the finalists at the Natural History Musuem before they go on the UK and international tour.
However, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 55 is currently in Australia and will be making a stop at the Australian National Maritime Museum between March 5 and October 11. Tickets are already on sale and if you book before March 4 use the code WILDLIFE20 for a discount.
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