Incredible winning images from Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
By Jack Guy, CNN
(CNN) — A heartbreaking image of an elephant carrying a dead calf has been named the overall winner of the 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
The image, named “The Aftermath,” was taken by Italian photographer Federico Veronesi. It shows a female elephant carrying the calf in Namibia, according to a statement from the Natural History Museum, which organizes the competition, on Tuesday.
“This photograph works on so many levels. Emotionally it’s a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant. Intellectually it’s proof that animals have cognition,” said Kathy Moran, chair of the competition’s jury, in the statement.
Meanwhile, Oscar Whitfield won the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year award for his photo of a dung beetle pushing its prize.
Named “Labour of Love,” Whitfield captured the image by lying flat on the ground as the beetle moved past his lens.
“This is exceptionally well done. Photographing such a small, constantly moving subject is challenging, yet the image feels so intentional,” said jury member Jasper Doest in the statement.
“The composition reveals an entire story and by doing so the photograph quietly reveals how life cycles depend on what we often overlook or dismiss,” Doest added.
The jury also selected winners in more than a dozen other categories, all of which will form part of an exhibition that opens on October 16 at the Natural History Museum in London, England.
The competition received a record-breaking 65,403 entries from 121 countries and territories around the world, organizers said.
“This year’s winning photographs demonstrate the extraordinary power of wildlife photography to help us see nature differently,” said Doug Gurr, director of the museum, in the statement.
“Together they remind us that every species plays a role in the complex web of life, and why understanding and protecting the natural world has never been more important.”
The-CNN-Wire
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