Steve Irwin’s son wins award with bushfire drone photo

Robert Irwin, the son of the late TV environmentalist Steve Irwin, won the People's Choice Award in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest with his bushfire drone photo.

Steve Irwin's son wins award with bushfire drone photo

Robert Irwin's dramatic bushfire drone photo has been named the winner of the People's Choice Award in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest.

The bushfire drone image shows a line of fire leaving a trail of destruction in the woodlands near the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in Cape York, Queensland.

Robert Irwin's drone photo received more than 55,000 votes from people all over the world. The Natural History Museum's annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest recognizes a photo chosen by the public each year. The other winners are decided by a team of judges.

Robert said he had to quick to capture the stunning aerial photo as he only had a few minutes of battery life left in his drone, reports Sky News. The photo shows pristine greenery on one side and a charred landscape on the other side. A line of fire runs through the center of the image and through a high conservation value area that is home to many endangered species.

“For me, nature photography is about telling a story to make a difference for the environment and our planet,” 17-year-old Robert said. “I feel it is particularly special for this image to be awarded, not only as a profound personal honor but also as a reminder of our effect on the natural world and our responsibility to care for it.”

Robert was ‘incredibly excited' to win the award. Natural History Museum director Doug Gurr described the bushfire drone photo as “stirring and symbolic”.

Keep in mind that when wildfires do occur, flying your drone in the vicinity is strongly discouraged as your drone flight means that Firefighters will not be able to fight the fire from the air.

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