Battle under the heron's nest: Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park photo earns spot in Comedy Wildlife Awards finals

SINGAPORE: Were they locked in a warm embrace? Or engaged in a feisty skirmish for food? A snapshot of two monitor lizards in a Singapore public park has made the shortlist for the 2025 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards.

The photo, titled "Battle Hug", was taken by Ms Jessica Emmett, a 43-year-old UK citizen living in Singapore. She submitted her entry, hoping to highlight the comedic contrast between the fighting reptiles and their seemingly affectionate pose.

"They're battling super hard for territory, mating or something … but every single photograph I took of them just looked like hugging," she said with a laugh.

"I was thinking: ‘Oh no, how do I not make them look cute?'"

Ms Emmett, who has limited mobility due to knee injuries, discovered her passion for wildlife photography during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I didn't think I'd get into wildlife photography so late in life,” she told CNA. “I never thought I was a 'nature person'."

Her photo is among the finalists in the annual competition, which aims to encourage conservation through "earning people's attention by showing them things they don’t expect".

Judges whittle down thousands of entries to just 40 finalists before deciding on category winners, to be announced on Dec 9.

THE HERON’S TREE

Ms Emmett's flat overlooks most of Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park, where she usually sets out on her personal mobility device (PMD) to take photos of otters and birds.

But on April morning this year, she stumbled upon a far more dramatic scene - two unexpected main characters.

"Monitor lizards are not that high interest to photographers, they’re not the star animals," she explained.

That day, standing roughly 200m away, was the unusual sight of two monitor lizards upright, locked in a brawl.

"They were doing this for eight minutes, which is a long time in a wildlife moment," she recalled.

The showdown took place beneath a large tree where herons are known to nest year-round. When CNA visited the spot, another monitor lizard was feasting on a heron egg, a moment Ms Emmett also captured on camera.

Navigating the park pathways on her PMD, she shared how the accessibility of Singapore's parks and nature spots has enabled her to pursue her hobby.

"Singapore is really good at thinking about how lots of people use park spaces in different ways," she said.

"I always appreciate when parks are accessible. It really makes a huge difference."

SHOWCASING SINGAPORE’S WILDLIFE

Before turning her lens to wildlife, Ms Emmett explored film and the visual arts. Though she had enjoyed photography from a young age, most of her creative energy went into illustration and designing custom toys.

Even with her background in the arts, wildlife photography has opened her eyes in unexpected ways.

"Wildlife photography is an opportunity to tell a story, to advocate for animals, to show them in a different light," she said.

For Ms Emmett, the practice has also become a form of therapy, a way to manage her anxiety and depression.

"There’s a lot of great wildlife in Singapore," she said.

Though it can be intimidating, sharing glimpses of Singapore’s wild side with others keeps her motivated to enter competitions.

She hopes more people will take the plunge and pick up a camera.

"You don’t need anyone’s permission to be a wildlife photographer," she said.

"All you need to do is have an interest in wildlife, in creatures, in plants, in nature. That’s all you need to start wildlife photography; the rest can be learned."