A winning entry in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition has been disqualified for featuring a “stuffed” anteater.

The Natural History Museum, which runs the contest, said it was “highly likely” that Marcio Cabral’s image featured a taxidermy specimen.

The picture, titled The Night Raider, shows an anteater beside a termite mound in Emas National Park in Brazil.

But an anonymous whistleblower contacted the museum last month to say the animal bore an uncanny resemblance to a stuffed anteater that can be found at a visitor centre in the reserve.

Mr Cabral denies the allegation, but could not supply any other pictures of the anteater in a different pose.

The picture was a winner of the 2017 Animals in their Environment category.