Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Caring for Each Other

A pair of Whitetail Deer care for each other. Hiking Shenandoah National Park looking and listening for owls I heard heavy foot steps off in the distance. Investigating the sounds, I saw this pair of deer near the edge of a cliff caring for each other. They seemed ok with me being around, so every couple of mins I took a couple steps forward until I was within 10 yards or so away, when I took this picture.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Washington, Virginia, United States of America
Camera: ILCE-7M3
Copyright: © Allen Melson