Scottish kilt features alongside monkey in winning Wildlife Photographer of the Year picture

One of the winning pictures from the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition 2019 shows a man wearing a Scottish kilt next to a Japanese monkey.

Dutch wildlife photographer Jasper Doest took home the Wildlife Photojournalist Story Award at the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition for his picture of a comedy skits featuring a monkey and a man in a Scottish kilt.

Japanese macaque Riku was legally captured from the wild and performed in front of large audiences in the north of Tokyo, up to three times a day.

The popular shows, which attract both tourists and locals, are inspired by Sarumawashi, literally translated at 'monkey dancing', which is a Japanese performance art which has been around for over 1,000 years.

During the shows, the trained macaques, which are usually dressed up in funny costumes, perform tricks and stunts alongside their trainers.

Usually, photography is banned at the shows, and Mr Doest waited years to gain permission to take this unique picture, in which the monkey's trainer is wearing a Scottish kilt.

The photographer admitted he was shocked such intelligent animals were being exploited in the sketches.

However, this particular macaque, Riku, retired from performing in 2018.

Other impressive pictures which won prizes include an action shot titled The Moment, which was taken by Yongqing Bao and depicts an intense battle for survival between a Tibetan fox and a marmot in a high alpine meadow, and a shot of a female gelada climbing on a mountain-top with her week-old infant.

The winners of the Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition 2019 were announced last night during a ceremony at the museum in London.