Calling on wildlife photographers to enter BC SPCA contest

The 16th annual BC SPCA wildlife photography contest is underway and looking for submissions. Amateur photographers aged 14 years and up can submit as many images as they would like of owls, eagles, foxes, bees, whales and other local animals until July 22, according to BC SPCA media release. “Wildlife-in-Focus celebrates the incredible variety of wild animals who call B.C. home,” said BC SPCA wild animal welfare specialist Nadia Xenakis. Participants may enter the contest as many times as they would like with no fee. All photos must be taken within BC and submitted digitally. Photos may be of "free-living" birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish and insects. The top three photo winners of the contest will be decided by judges focused on two categories, backyard habitat and wild settings. A second voting system is set in place in which the community can donate money to vote for their favourite photo. The 12 photos with the most public votes, as well as the top three from each category, will be featured in a limited edition Wildlife-in-Focus pack of greeting cards. The winners will also have an opportunity to be featured on a limited edition tote bag which can be purchased after the event on the SPCA website.  Past contest entries have been featured in magazines, BC SPCA educational materials, newspapers and websites. In 2023, Wildlife-in-Focus raised over $10,000 for specialized diets, treatments and other supplies toward the BC SPCA Wild ARC rehabilitation. More than 2,000 animals who have been injured or orphaned are cared for at Wild Arc each year. “It is also a great opportunity for British Columbians to showcase engaging with natural spaces in an ethical and responsible way, all while helping wild animals at Wild ARC," Xenakis said. To contact a reporter for this story, email Bailey Zimmer mailto:bzimmer@infonews.ca  or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .