JUDGES were delighted and amazed with the quality of images in this year’s Cotswold Wildlife Park photo competition.

More than 700 amateur snappers young and old entered the contest – but the only Oxfordshire winner was 21-year-old Lucy Barnes of Witney.

Oxford Mail:

Lucy Barnes was the only local winner

Her photo featured her seven-month-old pug and beagle cross, Fidget, with one of the rhinos.

Miss Barnes was visiting the park on her birthday in September with her new pet when she decided to take the photo.

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She said: “It was amazing to win – I didn’t expect it at all. I could not believe it when I got the email through.”

The overall winner from 11 finalists was Wayne Bailey with his stunning photo of a griffon vulture.

Mr Bailey, from Swindon, said: “I managed to capture the image after I noticed the vulture perched towards the front of its enclosure.

“It was only when it noticed my dog Toby approaching that I realised I had an opportunity to portray the predatory instincts of the bird, framing the vulture in such a way so as to emphasise the powerful beak and one of its ever-watchful eyes.

“It was more of an instinctive shot for fear of letting the moment pass but to be honest, I think for as long as Toby was prepared to sit there, the vulture would have done the same.

“When I looked back over the image later that day, I was really pleased and chose to submit it more in hope than in expectation.”

The contest theme for the year was Animal Portrait. There were two categories – for adults and for children aged three to 16.

Each category winner received a season ticket to the park and their photo will be made into a postcard available in the gift shop.

All the pictures by winners and runners-up will be displayed in the park’s restaurant from the February half-term.

The children’s winner was Jordan Yates with his picture of an otter.

Jordan, aged 15, also from Swindon, said it was only towards the very end of the day that he managed to capture the otters.

He added: “When we visited their enclosure for the second time we were very lucky as several otters had come out of their house and were playing in the water.I spent about 20 minutes watching and photographing them before we had to leave because the park was closing."

“I had taken several photographs that day which I originally thought I would enter but when I viewed by photos at home I decided on the otter as I thought it captured its character and personality.

“I like the way the otter is looking straight at me and that it shows a different side of the animal to what you normally see.”

Wildlife park curator Jamie Craig, said he was delighted by all of the images, and that it made judging difficult.

He said about the winning photo: “The detail in the image of our griffon vulture is something we do not see in most pictures taken at the park."