23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
PEEK-A-BEAR

A Himalayan brown bear pauses at a roadside garbage dump for a quick bite. With inadequate waste management across the region, local wildlife often gain easy access to heaps of wet waste, turning these dumps into an unintended open buffet. Yet this comes with serious risks: animals unknowingly consume plastic, discarded medicines, and other harmful substances that have no place in their natural diet.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: Drass, India
Camera: ILCE-7M4
Copyright: © Nakul Raj