/ 2023 / Nature / Wildlife

• Prize
  Gold in Nature/Wildlife
• Photographer
  Elizabeth Yicheng Shen, United States

It was the end of salmon run. I'd watched her trying many times that afternoon to catch a fish. Even with her determination and perseverance, there was simply no luck. It was the end of the day and the last time I saw her fishing that day. She suddenly jumped into the river, pouncing. Still, no catch. I couldn't help but wonder whether that was how she showed her frustrations and why the desperation. The puzzle was solved almost a year after this shot. It was the mother's instinct: She was pregnant. She gave birth to 3 cubs the next spring.