A poignant photograph of a young gorilla in the arms of the man who saved her from a bushmeat market has won the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award.

The image, taken by Canadian photographer Jo-Anne McArthur, shows Pikin, a lowland gorilla being moved from the safe forest sanctuary she was taken to after her rescue in Cameroon, to a new, larger one.

Ahead of the move Pikin was sedated but during the journey she awoke. Fortunately she was still drowsy, and her rescuer, Appolinaire Ndohoudou, of Ape Action Africa, was close at hand so she remained calm for the duration of the bumpy journey.

The arresting image won a public vote from a shortlist of 24 photographs drawn from a total of over 50,000 entries for the 2017 competition.

Another shortlisted photograph shows a polar bear mother and her cubs emerging from their den in early spring (Debra Garside/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

Ms Mcarthur said: “I’m so thankful that this image resonated with people and I hope it might inspire us all to care a little bit more about animals.

“No act of compassion towards them is ever too small. I regularly document the cruelties animals endure at our hands, but sometimes I bear witness to stories of rescue, hope and redemption. Such is the case with the story of Pikin and Appolinaire, a beautiful moment between friends.”

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition runs until 28 May at London’s Natural History Museum (Lakshitha Karunarathna/Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

Poaching of primates is rife in Cameroon, with bushmeat being sold for internal consumption and for external markets.

Supply and demand in the country reportedly remains steady, despite warnings from health officials that the trade and consumption of bushmeat increases the risk of Ebola.

According to the US Centre for Disease Control and Protection (CDC), in Africa human infections have been associated with hunting, butchering and processing meat from infected animals.

Despite the warnings, a recent Al Jazeera investigation revealed bushmeat is on almost every restaurant menu across Cameroon and is often served at government functions.

The appetite for bushmeat means young apes are often left orphaned, and will either die in the wild, or are easily captured and then sold as pets.

Rescued animals then become habituated to humans, meaning they cannot be released into the wild and instead are protected in large sanctuaries.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award Show all 8 1 /8 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award Winner – Pikin and Appolinaire Pikin, a lowland gorilla, had been captured and was going to be sold for bushmeat but was rescued by Ape Action Africa. Jo-Anne took this photograph as the gorilla was being moved from her former enclosure within a safe forest sanctuary in Cameroon to a new and larger one, along with a group of gorilla companions. She was first sedated, but during the transfer to the new enclosure she awoke. Luckily, she was not only very drowsy, but she was also in the arms of her caretaker, Appolinaire Ndohoudou, and so she remained calm for the duration of the bumpy drive Jo-Anne McArthur Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award Finalist – Elegant Mother and Calf Every year from July to late October southern humpback whales migrate north from their Antarctic feeding grounds to give birth in the warm sheltered waters off Tonga. Ray encountered this humpback mother and calf peacefully floating in the plankton-filled water around the island group of Vava’u, Tonga. After Ray gently approached them, the giants swam a bit closer to have a look at him. While they made this elegant turn, Ray took the shot. He later converted the image into black and white which he felt represented the simplicity of the scene Ray Chin/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award Finalist – Warm Embrace When polar bear mothers and cubs emerge from their dens in the early spring, the cubs stay close to their mothers for warmth and protection. Once the cubs are strong and confident enough, they make the trek to the sea ice with their mother so that she can resume hunting for seals. Debra waited six days near the den of this family, in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba, Canada, before they finally emerged. In the most challenging conditions she has ever faced, temperatures ranged from -35C to -55C with high winds, making it almost impossible to avoid frostbite and keep her camera gear functioning properly Debra Garside/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award Finalist – Roller Rider Lakshitha was on safari in MaasaiMara National Reserve, Kenya, when he spotted an unusual sight – a lilac-breasted roller riding a zebra. Normally they prefer to perch high up in the foliage, but his roller spent an hour or more riding around and enjoying the occasional insect meal. Lakshitha waited for the surrounding zebras to form the perfect background before taking this tight crop Lakshitha Karunarathna/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award Finalist – Sloth Hanging Out Luciano had to climb the cecropia tree, in the protected Atlantic rainforest of southern Bahia, Brazil, to take an eye-level shot of this three-toed sloth. Sloths like to feed on the leaves of these trees,and so they are often seen high up in the canopy. Luciano Candisani/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award Shortlisted – Reach for the Sky Steven was taking pictures of a small group of adult roseate spoonbills in a rookery in Tampa Bay, Florida, when he noticed a newcomer flying in from afar. With just enough time to back up a few steps, Steven photographed the bird landing exactly square to his camera with its wings in a stunning symmetrical U-shape Steve Blandin/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award Shortlisted – Holding On This close-up captures the touching moment an infant lays its small hand in the big hand of its mother. Jami took this photograph while she was in Borneo working on a story about the effects of palm-oil agriculture on orangutan habitat. Loss of primary rainforest is a serious threat to this already critically endangered species Jami Tarris/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award Shortlisted – Blood Ivory In a protected area of Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, a ranger’s bloody hand rests on a heavily grained ivory tusk, also covered in the blood of an African elephant. The bull had to be destroyed due to a severe tusk infection that couldn’t be treated.The tusks were removed to a place of safekeeping, where they were carefully catalogued in accordance with legislation Peter Chadwick/Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Mr Ndohoudou, Pikin’s caretaker, fled to Cameroon from Chad to escape the country’s civil war. According to the Natural History Museum, he rebuilt his life working for Ape Action and helping to protect wild animals. He has built close bonds with the gorillas he has cared for, with many who he has known for their entire lives.