<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/zslcontest_02.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/zslcontest_02.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/zslcontest_02.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > 1 of 14 Timeless (Andy Skillen / Zoological Society of London)

An image of a shaggy-haired grizzly bear, silhouetted against a serene mountain-lined horizon, took the grand prize for the 2015 Zoological Society of London Animal Photography Prize.

Captured by photographer Andy Skillen, the chosen winner for the “Size Matters” category went through the competition to also win the Judges’ Choice award for ZSL’s fourth wildlife photography competition. With over 450 entries from around the globe, the winners were chosen by a panel of judges that included television present Kate Humble and renowned ornithologist Bill Oddie.

Skillen took the photograph on the beaches of Greater Lake National Park in the mountains of Alaska, an iconic backdrop for animal photographers. The photographer patiently waited for the light to lend itself to a truly spectacular silhouette and laid down in the water to wait for the bear to come into the shot.

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“She dipped her head to search for fish and her back momentarily became part of the mountain range,” Skillen said in a ZSL statement. “That gave me the split-second I needed to grab the image, and to portray the enormity of the landscape, and at the same time the all-dominant presence that only a grizzly can impart to a wilderness scene.” Talk about perfect timing.

The director general of ZSL, Ralph Armond, hoped to spread awareness on the importance of wildlife in our world through the photo contest. “As stories of rare species facing extinction and increasing illegal wildlife trade dominate headlines, the need to raise awareness of and celebrate the wonders of the natural world has never been more pressing,” Armond said.

A selection of the winning and runner-up images will be in an exhibit at the ZSL London Zoo until Feb. 28, 2015. For those interested, the 2016 contest will open for entries in January.

To find out more about the ZSL Animal Photography Prize, visit here .

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