Photographer Brian Matthews praised for orangutan snaps

Oct 5 2009 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

WILDLIFE photographer Brian Matthews brought home a world-beating shot from his journey from the North East to Borneo.

His image of a baby orangutan has been highly commended in the world’s most prestigious wildlife picture competition.

Brian, 31, who grew up in Chester-le-Street in County Durham, is a physics graduate with a masters degree in management.

He now works at Hartlepool nuclear power station and lives in the town. Parents Brian and Linda live near Berwick, in Northumberland.

There were more than 43,000 entries from 94 countries in the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009 competition, which is run by the Natural History Museum in London and BBC Wildlife magazine. Brian’s success came in the animal portraits category – one of the most popular in the competition.

It is the second year running that Brian has enjoyed success in the competition.

Last year his picture of a vulture feeding on a caiman – a member of the crocodile family – in Brazil was runner-up in the animal behaviour: birds category.

“Two years in a row is a big achievement,” said Brian.

After a first trip to Borneo which resulted in no orangutan pictures, Brian asked the Orangutan Foundation in the UK for advice on the best location for the animals.

Six flights, two taxis and a five-hour boat trip later, he arrived last year in Tanjung Putting national park in Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo.