Storybook Wolf a fantasy, say wildlife photographers

A remarkable photograph of a rare Iberian wolf jumping a fence, which won this year's Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year, is being investigated after allegations that it was faked.

Spaniard Jose Luis Rodriguez won £10,000 for his winning entry to the prestigious photography prize. The caption for his image, 'Storybook wolf' (above), reads: "When José Luis realised he had got the shot of his dreams - one that he had even sketched on paper - he couldn't quite believe it."

Unfortunately, neither could some of his fellow Spanish photographers, who have sent the judging panel photographic evidence which they say proves the supposedly wild wolf in the picture is in fact a tame wolf called Ossian who lives at Canada Real, a zoological park near Madrid.

The rules of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition state: "Images of captive animals must be declared. The judges will [give] preference to images taken in free and wild conditions."

The evidence centres around close-up photographs of Ossian's head and that of the wolf in the winning image. Both wolves appear to bear the same dark scar under the right eye (see picture).

Another photograph shows a picture of a gate at Canada Real taken in daylight. It bears a remarkable resemblance to the one in the winning photograph.

The behaviour of the wolf - jumping over the gate rather than between the wooden slats, as would be expected of a wild animal - had already been called into question before Rodriguez's accusers presented their evidence.

A wolf expert told Suomen Luonto, the Finnish nature magazine which originally revealed the investigation into Rodriguez's picture, that one piece of evidence did seem to favour the Spaniard: "The wolf in the winning picture has beautiful flawless ears, whereas Ossian seems to have a visible mark in its right ear."

A spokeswoman for the Natural History Museum, which hosts the Wildlife Photographer exhibition, said: "The museum is aware of an allegation as to the veracity of the photograph, 'Storybook Wolf', by José Luis Rodriguez, specifically that an animal model was used in breach of the competition rules. We are investigating this thoroughly with the judging panel and will report back in the New Year once our investigations are completed.

"Mr Rodriguez strongly denies any wrongdoing or breach of the competition rules."

Rodriguez told the Daily Mail: "Since I was awarded the prize I have been a victim of a strong campaign of defamation on the part of a group of people - I presume photographers like myself - who have hidden themselves behind internet nicknames... If they were so sure of what they claim to have proved, why have they hidden behind fictitious names to defame me?"

One of the group of photographers who collected the evidence told Suomen Luonto: "I hope the truth will come out finally. There are many of us [Spanish nature photographers] who have strong ethics."

The Spanish photographers aren't the only people to cast doubt on the veracity of 'Storybook wolf'. A zoology graduate visiting the exhibition at the Natural History Museum told The First Post: "It's such an amazing photo - everyone was joking that it must have been set-up." ·