Japanese Teacher Wins with "Life-and-Death Deer" Photo

Hokkaido high school teacher **Kohei Nagira** won top honors in the People's Choice Award for his striking image of a **Hokkaido sika deer** with the decaying head of another deer entangled in its antlers – a powerful portrayal of nature's raw cycle of life and death.

Nagira captured the image in the winter of 2025 after tracking the stag for several weeks. The People's Choice Award is unique in that it is decided by public vote from a shortlist selected by the Natural History Museum.

The story behind the image is as compelling as the visual itself. The stag, despite carrying the immense weight of its dead rival, appeared healthy and was actively participating in the rut. Nagira's patience and dedication to ethical wildlife photography allowed him to capture this singular moment.