UPY 2025

UPY  Save our Seas Foundation Marine Conservation - Commended
'Baby Paradorn'
Sirachai Arunrugstichai

Paradorn, an orphaned Irrawaddy dolphin calf nibbles on a baby bottle, while resting in the arms of its caretaker at the rehabilitation facility of Marine Endangered Species Veterinary Hospital, Rayong, Thailand. The 6-month-old dolphin was rescued from stranding in the eastern Gulf of Thailand on July 22, 2022, and then taken into care by the veterinarians of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, since the chance for an unweaned calf to survive in the wild without its mother is slim. However, Paradorn died a month later despite the efforts keep it alive. As the Irrawaddy dolphin is threatened throughout its distribution range in coastal, estuarine, and riverine habitats of Southeast Asia and is also listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, where the species just gone extinct in Laos earlier in April 2022, while the Cambodian population is less than a hundred.

Judge's comment: What a cute image and nice, positive impact for this category. If the light and composition would have been a bit better, it could have been placed even higher.
Tobias Friedrich