Darrang’s Nejib gets coveted invitation at London’s Natural History Museum

GUWAHATI, Oct 15: Nejib Ahmed, a wildlife photographer and conservationist from Assam has received a prestigious invitation to attend the 59th Wildlife Photographer of the Year event in 2023, hosted at the Natural History Museum, London.

Nejib's remarkable talent has earned him recognition in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, with one of his photographs awarded as ‘highly commended’ in the photojournalism category.

Nejib’s image clicked in the periphery areas of Orang National Park which depicted the human-animal conflict has been selected to be exhibited in the coveted museum for the next one year.

“It’s a huge honour for me to get the invitation. I’m overjoyed at this moment and at the same time I sincerely hope my photographs somehow will help in wildlife conservation,” an elated Nejib who hails from Dalgaon of Darrang district told The Assam Tribune.

This exclusive event took place from October 9 to 11.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year is a renowned annual international wildlife photography competition organized by the prestigious Natural History Museum in London, England. This esteemed event features an exhibition of the winning and commended images each year, subsequently embarking on a global tour.

This competition has earned acclaim as one of the world's most prestigious, with winners selected from a remarkable pool of approximately 50,000 entries representing nearly 100 countries. The judging process is conducted by a distinguished and professional panel of experts.

The awards ceremony takes place at the iconic Natural History Museum in London, followed by the unveiling of the latest Wildlife Photographer of the Year portfolio, showcasing the winning images.

Subsequently, the high-quality Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition opens in London, captivating viewers worldwide throughout the year and attracting over 5 million visitors.

Nejib is a pioneer from Northeast India to receive an invitation from the Natural History Museum to participate in this prestigious event. This recognition is a significant honour and underscores the commendable wildlife photography efforts in the region.

Over the past 15 years, Nejib has devoted himself wholeheartedly to the cause of wildlife conservation and the preservation of their natural habitats. Among his notable accomplishments is his triumph in the 2022 Nature in Focus International Photography Competition, where he secured victory in the Conservation Section.

Besides that, Nejib has won awards like Nature Photography Winner in 2018 from the Photography Club of Assam and Nature Photographer of the Year in 2019 from the Photographic Society of Assam. His work has appeared in famous magazines like National Geographic and BBC Wildlife. He's also written for well-known journals like Outlook Traveller, Saevus India, Sony BBC Earth, and Sanctuary Asia. He even co-authored a book called ‘Birds of Orang’ with Pradipta Barua, DFO, Orang National Park.