A talented Cardiff photographer has highlighted the acclaim that could well await anyone who develops their talents through a photography course or two.

London native Andy Rouse was highly commended by judges for the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, who singled out two of his photos entitled Stalking the Tiger and Big Cat Fight.

The 44-year-old photography enthusiast has now been recognised for seven images in the last five years of the contest, which is run by London’s Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine and attracted 43,135 entries from 94 countries this year.

He explained to the South Wales Echo that Stalking the Tiger - nominated in the One Earth category - depicts tourist vehicles gathering to photograph a big cat.

"The tourist jeeps reminded me of paparazzi and I thought this photo was a poignant illustration of the intrusion on the tigers' environment," he remarked.

Big Cat Fight, also captured at India’s Ranthambore National Park, shows a 13-year-old tiger fighting her offspring for refusing to leave her territory, according to the photographer.

“I've never seen anything like it," he said. "The noise was incredible - the most violent, amplified cat-fight yowling you've ever heard."

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