Sandra Hoyn
Not His Fight
Orangutan exploited by the tourism industry, Thailand, 2025
Category - Humanity vs Nature
Dressed in boxing gloves, an orangutan raises his hand - not in victory, but on command. An act supposedly symbolising strength, but performed by one who never chose to fight. Trained to perform and stripped of his freedom, this picture of an orangutan taken at Safari World Bangkok in Thailand highlights the way that the unequal power relationship between humans and animals is used for entertainment. Orangutans are highly intelligent, endangered primates that belong in the wild. Some are taken from their mothers at an early age and kept in isolation, disrupting their natural development. Trainers try to humanise these captive animals – dressing them up, making them perform through fear and punishment, and turning them into props. Wildlife tourism is often marketed as harmless fun or a cultural experience. However, behind staged photos and animal shows lies a hidden reality of suffering and exploitation. What the audience sees is entertainment. What the animals experience is trauma.
HONOURABLE MENTION
300 mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens - 1/1250 sec at f/6.3 ISO 6400