A haunting image of a timid orangutan wading through an Indonesian river to escape crocodiles beat out over 11,000 entries to take top prize at the 2017 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year contest. Photographer Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan of Singapore will have his image published in an upcoming issue of National Geographic and took home a cash prize of $10,000.
Bojan patiently waited for days to capture the image after learning of the orangutan's unusual behavior. So determined to get the photo, Bojan actually risked his safety by entering into the crocodile infested river to wait for the orangutan to appear. “Honestly, sometimes you just go blind when things like this happen. You’re so caught up. You really don’t know what’s happening,” Bojan shared. “You don’t feel the pain, you don’t feel the mosquito bites, you don’t feel the cold, because your mind is completely lost in what’s happening in front of you.”
Bojan patiently waited for days to capture the image after learning of the orangutan's unusual behavior. So determined to get the photo, Bojan actually risked his safety by entering into the crocodile infested river to wait for the orangutan to appear. “Honestly, sometimes you just go blind when things like this happen. You’re so caught up. You really don’t know what’s happening,” Bojan shared. “You don’t feel the pain, you don’t feel the mosquito bites, you don’t feel the cold, because your mind is completely lost in what’s happening in front of you.”
