(CNN) Stars sparkle across a deep blue sky at Emas National Park in Brazil. A glowing termite mound illuminates the night. Below the structure, an anteater creeps forward.

This is the scene captured by Marcio Cabral's photograph "The Night Raider," which was one of the winners in last year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. The British Natural History Museum, which has been hosting the prestigious competition for more than 50 years, revoked the prize on Friday on grounds the animal in the photo is not, in fact, living.

"Evidence was presented to the museum by third parties that it is highly likely the animal in the awarded photograph is a taxidermy specimen," the museum said. "After a thorough investigation, the museum concluded that the available evidence points to this allegation being true."

The anonymous third party provided the museum with photos of a stuffed anteater featured in an exhibit outside a visitor center at the same park where Cabral shot his image. The institution consulted with five experts, two of them specializing in South American mammals and anteaters, who concluded the animal on display is the same one in Cabral's photo.

Cabral has not responded to CNN's request for comment.

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