Mice fighting over crumbs in subway station wins wildlife photo award in stunning image

Mice in a subway may be a typical sight on your commute to work, but one wildlife photographer captured the moment two were brawling in an award-winning photograph.

Titled "Station squabble," Sam Rowley's photograph of two mice apparently fighting over leftover crumbs in a London underground station was voted the winner of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year LUMIX People's Choice Award.

Rowley, a photographer based in Bristol, captured the image of the fight after visiting the the station every night over the course of the week, London's Natural History Museum said in a news release. The interaction lasted for only a second as one of the mice ran away after winning the crumbs, the museum said.

"Sam's image provides a fascinating glimpse into how wildlife functions in a human-dominated environment. The mice's behaviour is sculpted by our daily routine, the transport we use and the food we discard," museum director Sir Michael Dixon said in the statement.

Rowley's photo beat out 25 other finalists of more than 48,000 images submitted for the contest, and 28,000 nature photography fans voted, the museum said.

"I'm so pleased to win this award," Rowley said in the news release. "It's been a lifetime dream to succeed in this competition in this way, with such a relatable photo taken in such an everyday environment in my hometown. I hope it shows people the unexpected drama found in the most familiar of urban environments."

The museum said Rowley's photo was the first winner of the LUMIX People's Choice Award to feature a human-made environment. Past winners of the overall Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award have featured human-made environments, though.

The photo will be on display in the London museum until May 31.

Take a look at the winner and highly commended images in the photo gallery above.