Young Greek best nature photographer

The competition is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The image depicts a female cheetah resting in the grass at the Maasai Mara reserve in Kenya.

Petrino's image of the feline was only one of 42,000 photographs from 96 countries submitted to the competition. He was eight years old when he captured the shot while on safari in the east African country with his family.

"You can tell the animal's feelings from the look in the eye, the way the fur lies and the ears move," Leon says in the note accompanying his entry. He particularly likes portraits, he says, because "the animal's feelings talk to you".

David Attenborough was to be presenter at this year's award ceremony at the Natural History Museum in London on October 21. Since his demise, it is not known who will announce the winners selected by a panel of judges, including American environmentalist and photographer Jim Brandenburg, Norwegian photographer Pal Hermansen and South Korean curator Sujong Song.

All 100 photographs will be exhibited at the NHM from October 24 to August 30.