8-year-old scoops Wildlife Photographer of the Year award

London: A stunning shot of a stag amid a blizzard in a London park has scooped a top photography award for an eight-year-old.

Joshua Cox was just six-years-old when he captured the majestic animal in Richmond Park last January with a camera he had received for Christmas. "He almost looked like he was having a snow shower," Joshua said.

It has been highly commended in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Describing the moment they came across the red deer stag, Joshua, from west London, said: "We were in a blizzard and I saw some snow stags going into the woods and we followed them. We got quite close but were a good distance away. Luckily we were not disturbing them much."

Joshua started using a toy camera as a toddler and progressed to a compact camera not long after taking the photo while in lockdown, the BBC said.

It had just started to snow when the youngster and his father Julian Cox, who is also a wildlife photographer, arrived in the park. His father added: "Joshua only takes photographs when he wants to, when the inspiration takes him and usually when it does he ends up taking better pictures than his dad. I'm very proud of Josh and very happy for him."

Richmond Park is home to herds of red and fallow deer which have been roaming freely since 1637, the Natural History Museum, which runs the competition, said.

The winning images, including the prestigious Grand Title Award and Young Grand Title Award, will be announced on October 14, the report added. (UNI)

(Photo Credit: Joshua Cox)