It seemed to good to be true and in the end, it was.

Marci Cabral’s photo, ‘The Night Raider,’ earned him a win in the Animals in their Environment category of the 2017 Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest.

Photo Credit: National History Museum/Marci Cabral

The award winning photo was taken in Brazil’s Emas National Park, and it shows an anteater leaning against a rock that is covered in glowing termite mounds.

However, after a thorough investigation, the National History Museum, who puts on the contest, has discovered that the photo was staged.

“Evidence was presented to the museum by third parties that it is highly likely the animal in the awarded photograph is a taxidermy specimen,” the museum said.

“After a thorough investigation, the Museum concluded that the available evidence points to this allegation being true.”

Photo Credit: National History Museum

As a result, the photo was disqualified and Cabral has been stripped of the awards, as well as banned from entering future competitions.

It’s almost a shock that the fraudulent photo wasn’t discovered earlier, as the giant taxidermy anteater is on display full time at the entrance to the national park.

Sadly, a deserving photographer won’t be able to claim the award now, as the judging is done blind and the photographers are now known.