Jasmine Vink, Essential Worker (ANIMAL 2021)

Flying foxes are an animal normally seen as a silhouette in the sky or as part of a larger colony during the day. It's rare that we get that one on one experience to gain a greater appreciation for these often misunderstood animals. Flying foxes spend their nights pollinating trees and spreading seeds over vast distances. Because of this, flying foxes are a keystone species which means they are essential to the function of the ecosystem. These are wild black flying foxes (Pteropus alecto) photographed in the Redlands.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.