The Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition has crowned its winners, with a stark black-and-white image of a female elephant carrying her dead calf taking the top honour. Titled The Aftermath, the photograph was captured by Italian wildlife photographer Federico Veronesi in Namibia's Huab River Valley.
Veronesi, who was tracking a family of elephants, noticed unusual drag marks in the dry riverbed sand. Following them, he came upon the group, one member of which had the calf wedged between her tusk and trunk. The scene echoes documented behaviours of elephants that suggest grief, including vocalisations, guarding the dead, and handling bones.
Kathy Moran, chair of the jury, described the image as an emotional “gut punch” and “heartbreakingly poignant” evidence of the animals' consciousness. The photograph stood out among a record 65,403 entries from 121 countries and territories.
Young photographer and urban wildlife
The Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award went to 14-year-old Oscar Whitfield from the UK for his shot of a dung beetle at work in Zimbabwe's Zambezi National Park. Whitfield lay flat on the ground to capture the beetle at eye level, with the sun and heat creating dry dust around him—a detail that gives the image's title, Labour of Love, a dual meaning.
Though small, dung beetles play a significant role in curbing greenhouse gases by breaking up and burying dung, preventing it from producing methane. This also speeds decomposition and reduces pests affecting livestock and wildlife. There are more than 5,000 species worldwide.
Urban wildlife featured prominently this year. US photographer Loren Elliott's portfolio Wily Coyotes of San Francisco documents a resident pack living among the city's 800,000-plus human inhabitants. Around 100 coyotes are thought to reside in the city, where attitudes are mixed—they sometimes prey on domestic animals but also help control rodent populations. Elliott's images invite viewers to reconsider these often-misunderstood animals in an increasingly urban world.
In Bangkok, UK photographer Seth Forestson won the Urban Wildlife category with a shot of a common monitor lizard carrying prey through Lumphini Park. He lowered himself onto the muddy ground to frame the creature against the city skyline. These lizards have adapted well to the Thai capital, feeding on catfish and koi in park lakes.
Underwater encounters and shared habitats
Human impacts on marine life also took centre stage. Aaron Sanders, winner of the Animal Portraits category, captured A Watchful Eye off Porthkerris Beach in Cornwall, UK. He noticed octopus sucker footprints on a kelp blade, and as a single eye emerged, he recalled, “We remained perfectly still, watching one another with a seemingly shared curiosity.”
The encounter reflects a broader trend: common octopus sightings off southwest England have increased dramatically, likely due to above-average spring sea temperatures expanding their range from the Mediterranean. This has had devastating effects on local fishing industries.
In the Oceans: The Bigger Picture category, US photographer Alex Lindbloom photographed a whale shark investigating the catch of a bagan, a mobile net-fishing platform, off Papua, Indonesia. Whale shark numbers have declined sharply over the past 75 years due to ship strikes, fishing gear entanglements, and illegal fishing.
Other winning images reveal unexpected interactions when species gather. The Meeting Place, by a UK photographer, captures a watering hole where different animals converge, highlighting the delicate balance of shared habitats. The full exhibition, showcasing all 19 category winners, opens at the Natural History Museum in London later this year.
For those inspired to explore wildlife closer to home, Europe's top wildlife road trips offer routes from the New Forest to the North Cape. And for a lighter take on animal photography, the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards drew a record 10,000 entries this year.
