16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
A caribou shedding its antler velvet next to a pile of sticks and logs.

The last day of my first time in Alaska I witnessed these caribou shedding the velvet on their antlers, I was captivated by how beautiful the somewhat gory sight was. The rain mixing with the blood on their antlers made these animals look ethereal to me, I continue to be blown away by how powerful they truly are as creatures, and this bloody process only emphasizes that fact.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2018
Date Uploaded: 10.2018
Photo Location: Girdwood, Alaska, United States of America
Camera: Canon EOS 80D
Copyright: © Samara Flayderman